Forget Me Not
by feedthecat
Summary: Two people, two countries, a dozen exchanges, hundreds of memories and ten thousand emotions - all for that one person, all for each other.
1. Chapter 1

**11 December 2007**

"I know emails are super cool, but don't bother with them. Just remember to write lots of letters, Barney. Lots and lots and lots of letters."

"I will. And promise me you will remember to write back."

"I promise."

"Good."

Feeling nostalgic, Robin let out a sigh, reaching out to give Barney's tie a little tug. "You know… I will miss you. I think I will miss you quite terribly."

"As will I." He replied swiftly and suddenly raised a hand in the air, excited as a five year old. "London! Robin, God, you are doing something with your life! You are destined to do big things, I can feel it …I just hope you don't forget to remember me." Spreading his arms, Barney smiled almost idiotically, willing for her to come into his embrace, trusting that she would. And she did.

Smiling in return, Robin found herself safe in his arms, the smell of his cologne familiar and overwhelming. Over the years, his hugs had always been a sign of comfort and reassurance, and upon realising these hugs would be something she would have to live without for the next… Well, who knows how long, she felt a pang of sadness pierce through her.

Burrowing her head in his chest, she closed her eyes, murmuring. "I won't, as long as you don't."

Everywhere, there were people rushing. Pilots, stewardesses, businessmen, families, people of all kinds, all rushing, as if time was going especially fast for them. And there they stood, in the middle of the departure hall, in a tight embrace, the two desperately clinging onto each other and onto each and every last memory they share. From an onlooker's point of view, they were just another two people about to say goodbye at the airport on a busy weekday. Nobody around thought of their exchange as peculiar, but then again, nobody actually knew them, nor do they know the feelings they harbour.

Barney paused, unsure of what to say next, a silent struggle pulsing in the air-conditioned hall. He was not taught what to say in these situations. It was hard for him, and he knew that it was hard for her, too.

"Be safe, but most of all, have fun. Have the time of your life. I'll be thinking of you all the way across the ocean. Goodbye, Robin."

"You do something with your life as well, buddy. And I'll be back in the blink of an eye. Goodbye to you too, Barney."

"I hope so. You should go now; the gates will be closing soon. I don't want you to miss your flight."

Holding a smug grin, Robin felt her heart ache. "You know, something tells me you do in fact want the plane to fly away before I step into the gates just so I can stay." She let out a hefty laugh. "Okay, I'd better get going soon or I'll really miss my flight. I can't say this enough - I'll miss you."

Barney nodded half-heartedly, his mind fluttery with thoughts. Do_ I say I love you? ...No, that would probably send the wrong message and it would just make the situation awkward. A simple goodbye would suffice, _he thought.

"All right, you really should. And as for me… Gosh, I miss you already. But I've got to set you free, you amazing little bird, you. Goodbye, Robin Scherbatsky."

"Goodbye, goodbye."

And with that, she pulled away from him, breaking the once intimate hug and at the same time taking a piece of his heart with her. It hurt, but he knew that was just the way life worked. In this vast sea of people, nobody would ever have it easy; and whoever said they could otherwise would be dirty liars.

Taking it all in, he watched her go, clumsily collecting her suitcase, flashing a bittersweet smile and a final wave of goodbye. And he waved back, praying with all his heart she would have a safe flight and that she would remember him.

As her silhouette vanished into the large crowd, he felt a sudden stab of remorse.

He knew it. He should have said _I love you_.

Taking out his phone quickly and fumbling with the keyboard, he sent her a simple message consisting of the three words he was sure he would regret if left unsaid, and made his way to the exit. He walked out of the airport through the big, bold glass doors that led to another world, his worries, at the same time, escaping through the doors, just like the way he had, fading away into the broad daylight.

The second he sighted a yellow vehicle, he yelled 'cab!' and jumped in, ready to go home, the whole time his heart rumbling. He was still not entirely sure why he had sent that text message. _Was it so important that he had to send her a message to remind her of how fond he was of her?_ He buckled his seatbelt and felt a trill coming from his phone.

It was a reply from Robin.

He perked up at the sight of her name appearing on his mobile, just like he has always had and probably always will, for the rest of his life. Opening the incoming text message and tugging at his collar with the strangest sense of ease, he gave a small smile as he scanned through the contents of the message, all his doubts suddenly erased.

_'Love you too.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So, so sorry for the complete and utter lack of updates! I was having my finals last week so I was awfully busy but now I'm done, the updates should be coming in more frequently - I hope. Thank you for being patient with me, and I've just typed this one up, enjoy!**

* * *

**12 December 2007.**

Hey Barney!

This is my first letter ever to you. _Our _first letter ever. When have we become such sentimental people? …Anyway, I've landed safely and I just wanted you to know that, even if it takes ages for this letter to arrive. Oh, well.

I have loads to tell you about, so you better sit down in a comfortable armchair with a cup of tea because you won't be moving for a while, wink. And yes, a cup of tea, because I'm in London now and we ought to be doing the stereotypical English things, right? Right.

Anyway, London is amazing. It's truly amazing and you should come sometime if you are free. Everything is so… It's _so_ different from New York. I mean, I've always known it was going to be different, but I just didn't realise it was going to be_this _different. I'm kind of blown away and I can't stop taking pictures of the beautiful telephone boxes. I also can't stop taking pictures of the roads and vehicles. And just… Everything in general. People probably think I'm some crazy American who's obsessed with England, haha. But maybe I am! Maybe I have developed into one without myself noticing.

That was the upside. But there are downsides as well. I mean… I don't know. Living life on my own now, things can get a bit lonely. I miss the gang and MacLaren's and everything about home. (I'm not calling this place home yet, don't worry.) I know I've only just arrived, but the moment I stepped into this little English flat I just felt incredibly lonely, because as much as I wish I did, I don't know anyone here and I hope that won't be too much of a struggle as the months fly by… And hopefully they will fly by.

Okay, I'd love to write more but that's it, I think. I also think this is good enough for a first letter. It's late and I'd better get started with my unpacking… See! The first thing I did was write you a letter. I didn't even have the time to unpack, and that's how special you are to me. Lucky you!

Okay, okay, all right. I really have to get started. There's not much to unpack but I sort of want to paint this place over the next couple of days, so if I want to get things sorted before I head off to work in ten days, that would be amazing. I also need to get some English stamps, double check my address and get to know the lady who owns this flat… Yeah, that's right, I'm only renting it, because… The truth is, I don't know how long I'll be staying, still.

Anyway, I need to stop yabbering on and on; I can feel myself boring you right now. Like, literally. So there's all I have to say! I really hope you're doing well and I hope you write back soon, which I know you will, because you dare not defy my wishes, duh. It's only been a day but I'm sure a lot has been going on back there and I _cannot wait_ to hear all about it because whatever Barney Stinson is up to, it will be very promising. And_ this_ is how much faith I have in you.

Love and miss you

Robin

P.s. Have you noticed I've started writing in British English?

* * *

**17 December 2007**

Lovely, lovely Robin.

I can't believe you've actually motivated me to pick up my pen and write you an actual letter. Like, for real? Barney Stinson and letters are not a good mix.

But since I figured you'd probably not reply my emails if I were to send them, (because you are a fool), and since you're so determined for us to exchange letters, I thought, fine, if that's what you wanted, I'm going to do it. _And not because I dare not defy your greatness, because, oh, I do._

Besides, this isn't so hard. Writing, I mean. Though it's pretty lame. Sorry, but, I mean, it's true. I hope you don't lose your awesome over there in London because there is no way I am going to hang out with a lame Robin.

Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. It's got to be different out there, that's the whole point, isn't it? I heard the accents are pretty great, and I don't have a doubt on that. One thing, though: Are the girls there good looking? Because, who knows, I might even pay a visit just for them chicks, wink, nudge.

I think I'm going to be a little disappointing here to say there has not been much going on right now. And I can't believe I am about to say this, but I actually feel like the gang is torn apart without your existence here with us. Okay, that was cheesy and cliché. But you know how we feel; Ted, Lily and Marshall says hello to you.

On the other hand, I can't believe _you_, of all people, would be feeling lonely. Come on! You've always come across to me as that terribly strong and strikingly independent woman, you know. But I guess that happens. I mean, things can be a little lonely sometimes and even for a man as afraid of commitment as myself, I can confirm that.

Think of the good stuff, okay? Hang a few pictures up, buy a radio, buy some CDs, paint your walls green, make some new friends – do whatever it takes to be happy because I don't like seeing you upset. You hang on over there! I'll come see you _very, very_ soon. Sooner than you think, okay?

Love and miss you too

Barney

P.s. Whatever! So have I.


	3. Chapter 3

**25 December 2007**

_Merry Christmas, Barney!_

Holy crap, my first Christmas in London, and hopefully it won't be the last because it's beautiful here. Absolutely stunning.

Your letter came in through the door last night on Christmas Eve, but unfortunately I was too drunk to take care of things. I was positive it came through the door last night though; I mean I just have a hunch on these things.

Before you ask – No, I have not been sleeping with anyone. Do I really seem like that kind of person? I just got drunk with a bunch of female friends I made from work, and I know you are going to be wondering about how it went and my sexual orientation, but that's okay, because I am here to update and reassure you of my workplace, my new friends and my current sexual preference.

Am I a lesbian now? No.

Are my new friends hot? Yes, they are. Do come over sometime. They will love an American blond guy in a suit, I swear.

And as for my work experience – I've started work three days ago but have only actually 'been' to work for one day, since yesterday was a holiday and so is today, so I am off. I've met a bunch of really nice people though! I didn't expect it at first, as in: I didn't expect people to be this nice to me, but they were. So here we go. Not so hard now, is it?

It turns out I am still the anchor I used to be. Like, my new job position is an anchor, which I'm grateful for, because aside from an anchor, I hardly know how to do anything else. I suppose I can deal with the newsroom paper work and stuff, but you know, it gets really boring. And I _hate_ being bored. Being an anchor has also made me feel like home, which ended up having me crying on the bathroom floor because I felt so homesick.

…Just kidding.

Gah! It's Christmas morning, and I'm sat here like an idiot writing you a letter instead of going Christmas shopping with these new friends I've made. Like, right!? How did that happen? I could be at TopShop right now (that's some English Forever 21, if you're wondering) marvelling at some amazing clothes, but no, I'm sat at home writing to you…

Oh, come on! Don't you give me that look you're making as you're reading this. Give me credit where it's due, because I think we can all agree that this is a pretty big sacrifice, nudge nudge. I mean if it were you, would you ditch the opportunity of banging some 10/10 chicks in exchange for some quiet time at home, alone, by the way, to write a letter to some old hag? Nope. _Exactly. _(Lets out exaggerated gasp.)I am _such_ a good friend.

Anyway, I hope you're doing well. I know I like to say this a lot, but I _really_ do hope so. This is not just some cliché thing I'm saying to fill the spaces on this giant sheet of letter paper, I swear. But I figured you would be great, wouldn't you? I mean, you've got the gang and everything, so that's awesome.

Tell them Merry Christmas from me!

Love love love,

Robin

P.s. Did I really just do that? Sign off with the word 'love' repeated three times? I feel like a love struck schoolgirl. And what's up with _that_? Please send help quickly because this is an emergency; London is changing me, and it's changing me _fast_.

* * *

**31 December 2007**

_Happy last day of 2007, Robin!_

Good, good. I'm glad you've not been sleeping with anyone… Yet, because you know you just like it dirty and you soon will be sleeping with the entire male population. So props to you for still keeping that purity ring on up 'till now. Well, sort of.

_And shut up_, you old hag (if that were what you would like me to call you from now on). You know I would do that in a heartbeat. Anything for you, you know I would. Even if it means giving up the opportunity to bang some 10/10 chicks, you know I would, because you are _this _important to me. And I need you to remember that. So, be it! Be the stupid idiot, because I'll have you know that right now I'm the fool spending my New Years' Eve evening writing back. We're even.

Anyway, I did tell the gang Merry Christmas from you, and they all said it back. Even though by the time this letter arrived, it would be, like, what? 2008? Yeah. It would be 2008_. Holy cow, it would be 2008._ That means I can finally start making jokes about not having seen you since 2008. Amazing, mind-blowing and you just know it's going to be legendary.

So… If you don't mind me asking, what's the plan for New Years' Eve? And whom are you going to kiss when the clock strikes twelve? I hope I don't sound possessive (ugh, I hate that word), but it'd better not be someone hotter than me, because I would be very cross with that… But then again, who would be hotter than me? Ryan Gosling, maybe, but why the hell would he be in London on New Years' Eve and kissing _you_, of all people? Exactly. Crossing that point out in my list of concerns now.

**_…So_** good to hear you're settling in your new job, and it sucks we don't get English TV here because it would be quite the laugh seeing your face on my telly every night telling me about the crappy weather and everything else worth laughing at. But that aside… _Seriously!_ I want you to know that I'm so proud of you. Pick yourself off of that bathroom floor (yes, yes) and wipe away the faded eyeliner because I'm so proud of you, and most importantly, I love you. In the friend way, obviously. But yeah, super cheesy, _again_. Okay, okay. I need to stop myself before I continue or fall into that bottomless hole of sounding like my great aunt.

Anyway! What do I do now? Right. Seal the letter and send it, I suppose. And then go out for New Years' Eve dinner with the gang – yes, with the gang; be _very_ jealous – and maybe pick up a few chicks or something on the way home…

And I'm _not_ going to be like you and try to fill in the letter sheet by writing the same thing over and over again, am I?

_Hasta la vista_, you cheater.

Lots of love

Barney

P.s. You may sound like a love struck schoolgirl with that sign off, but I sound like my mum, so you still win.

P.p.s. Can we_ please_ use email or something? Pretty please?


	4. Chapter 4

**4 January 2008**

Barney!

Oh my god, it's 2008! Hello, Happy New Year! And with this response coming in your mailbox, you know the answer is _no_, _we cannot use email_, because I like doing this, and I like feeling like I've got Parkinson's after writing an extremely long letter when my hand goes numb. What's wrong with letter writing anyway? Nothing. Nothing at all. So let's carry on.

Right, a few things to address here.

One:_ Stop flirting with me! _I can literally feel it through your use of are despicable, with all the winking. The worst part is that I can actually picture you with the winking and I laugh – out loud, by the way – when I have the imagery. You are an awfully cheeky person. Now go sit in a corner and reflect.

Two: It's strange you didn't reply with a load to ask about my hot female friends, and that have caused me to believe you have found a girlfriend… Oh, stop it, you! _You confuse me._ I added that hot friends part in my letter for a specific reason, which is to get you hyped up and plan a visit because I've missed you so. So please don't tell me you have a girlfriend because that would seriously break my heart, knowing I'm not the only female you are devoting all your time to now that you've got another one you may put on a higher shelf than me. Pfft. (Yes, Barney, this is jealousy, and it's dangerous.)

Three: I love my new job. I don't know where that came from, but I love it so far. And I thought I should let you know, because loving my job is such an amazing feeling.

Four: I think this is it. Holy stars, my letter is so short. But it's not the _quantity_ that matters; it's the _quality_ that does. And this is some pretty good quality writing here. Duh. That also happens to be what they teach you at school, I would think, if you made it past fourth grade.

Truckloads of love (definitely more than you),

Robin

P.s. I'm so glad to hear you're still letting me win.

P.p.s. I think you know the answer to that.

* * *

**10 January 2008**

Few things to address as well.

One: _Just shut up and let me flirt with you! _You know you like it; you know you just like it dirty; you know you want it and you want it bad… Ok. I'll stop right here. That was the line and I crossed it.

_But really._

Anyway, Happy New Year to you too, even though the year's hardly new anymore now that I'm writing on the, what, 10th? How did the days fly by? Also, I have said it once and I will say it again (and again and again, until you agree with me) – that it's 2008 and we need to start using email to communicate! Seriously. What's the deal? We won't have to wait for letters anymore.

Oh, wait… Sentimental value. Of course; letters have sentimental value. But baby girl, the whole ordeal with sentimental value is making me… Mental. That rhymed, I think. Halfway.

No, don't let your heart be broken, or try and stick it back together now, because I have _not _got a girlfriend. Barney Stinson doesn't do 'girlfriend'! You've known me for ages now, you should know better than this. I don't think you're my good friend after all, Scherbatsky. Now stop being jealous, because you look so bitter right now and if you keep on looking like that I'd have you step back and away from me.

However, I won't be surprised if you've gotten yourself a swanky little boyfriend. Okay, maybe not swanky. That's not the best word. But I'm pretty sure with your level of hotness (there, there, I said it); it shouldn't be hard to score a dude. Face it – You're tall and sexy with a gorgeous face! (There, there, I also said that.)

Don't mind me, I think I'm a bit drunk.

Moving on.

I don't have a girlfriend, so I'd be more than happy if I could pop over and stay sometime because your girlfriends sound delicious. A professional womaniser like me will gobble them up and spit them out before you count to ten in Spanish. And considering you don't know Spanish at all, I think that gives me a bit of time, doesn't it?

I'm delighted to hear that you love your job! Except I don't care about your job. I care about _you_! I want to know how you're doing, not how your job is doing. So please don't talk to me about your job ever again, unless it's about one of the following: 1) Your hot (female) colleagues, 2) Something upsetting that you really need to talk about, or 3) You quit and you're coming back. That's all I'm accepting. Everything else is now rated a negative fifty-two and I no longer care.

And to leave you, I think I just beat you in letter writing. _I just beat you in letter writing._ And I don't even have ovaries. I swear I'm getting really good at this.

You'll never have more love than me,

Barney

P.s. It's like this – No matter what we're arguing about, you always win. That's the tradition. Even when you're completely wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Finally got the time to sit down and type a chapter out, thank you for the nice reviews! :)**

* * *

**16 January 2008**

Seriously? You're always drunk. And no, you are not allowed to flirt with me. It's weird! It's like Ted saying 'I Love You' to me, and unlike him, I know you don't mean it when you flirt, but still. It's weird. I guess I'm just not used to it.

Talk about days flying by. It's the 16th. I've been away for more than a month and I haven't even noticed, not really. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?

I love how you had your rant about not using emails and having to write letters, and then at the end you just completely changed your mind and felt glorious because you 'beat me at letter writing' by writing a longer message than I did. You are one oddball.

And… Okay, okay. Sticking my heart back together now. With a glue gun… _Except I don't own a glue gun_. I mean, Ted does, but he's all the way back there with you, so whatever. Don't look at me, I'm really just sticking my heart back together using the joyous tears I've shed upon finding out you do not have a girlfriend.

As for me – I don't have a boyfriend, and it's not like I need one anyway. I've always been independent (as you would say, or have said) and I feel like I shouldn't be having a boyfriend just yet. Even if it's just a casual fling. I generally just don't feel like I should be committed in any way because I'm still not entirely sure I am mentally stable.

And shut up!

My job is really exciting. I bet Lily wants to know more about it, right? (Ask her about it, I'm sure she'd say yes because she really does care about me entirely, unlike you.) I mean, even if she doesn't, I'm pretty sure Ted cares. He's the kind of guy who cares about everything, even boring and stupid stuff like why the grand piano is called the grand piano. Okay, don't tell him I said that, because that's mean. (But at the same time it's really true, and that's kind of sad.)

I guess I'm just really tired and sleep-deprived here because I don't really have much to say, again. It's not the jetlag thing, it's been ages and if I'm still having jet lag then I should seriously get myself checked out. So, no, it's not.

I think I just feel a little homesick.

Don't be all talk and no action, come and fetch me already, will you! Or I will have to spend all my salary on booze and hot English males, to, you know, numb my loneliness, if that's what you want.

Love and miss you quite a lot

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I had to.

Okay, first of all, I had to do this email thing because _I_ _absolutely had to_. I can NO LONGER stand this letter arriving thing. Patience is not my thing! Besides, my hands are falling off from all that excessive writing. Typing is much better.

First off, I'm not always drunk! Where do you get your information from, lady? Because it's all wrong. I'm hardly drunk. I'm mostly just awesome, and that's not the same as drunk.

Save the time and energy on sticking your heart together because I'll be tearing it apart very soon. I mean, I think. Whatever. I don't really know what I'm saying anymore.

Anyway, I've asked both Ted and Lily, and they do not care. Not one bit. Well actually, their exact words were, 'Of course we care! We love Robin!' but I'm pretty sure they meant the opposite. Uh, come on, I know them and I know what they're thinking just by their facial expressions. So shush back there, because I think I know what I'm doing.

Oh, and Ted read that part where you talked about him being boring and stupid. I'm sorry, I tried to stop that from happening but he snatched the letter right out of my hands the second I told him you mentioned him. I totally did not read that out loud in front of him just to piss the both of you off. Anyway, he agreed with the fact that he was pretty boring, so you have nothing to worry about.

…Thank God you don't have a boyfriend. I don't think there are any hot guys over there. None of them as hot as me anyway. Hence I can conclude that none of them will do you any good because none of them will ever be good enough for you.

I was being serious, if you were wondering.

It sucks seeing you being unhappy over there, or lonely, or sleep-deprived, or whatever. _It just sucks in general, seeing you being negative._ Snap out of it! You're worrying me. And I told you, I would fly over given the chance, but I've been signing about two more documents each day on average so you could say things are quite busy at the moment at GNB. I really wish I could, though. Really.

But you can always fly back! You're homesick, after all, so if I fly there, it won't really help, would it? New York is your home. (Or… Canada. But Canada is lame, and I'm in New York.)

You can spend your salary on whatever you want except on hot males, because they don't even exist over there.

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: RE: I had to.

Stop it! I hate you! You're using email! And I hate myself for tolerating this thing by replying you via email!

But I have to agree, it's much faster. So you get one point.

Come on, Barney. I know, my bad. So let me rephrase that: You always drink. Drunk on some occasions, but not always. But you also always just drink. A lot.

I don't know what you're trying to say with that sticking heart thing either. So let's just skip over that part… Great.

Very clever and funny with that Ted and Lily part right there, Mr. Stinson. You are _totally _right about your predictions. I'm sure they don't care about my job _at all_ as well,_ just like you don't_._ What a coincidence! The world is a miraculous and peculiar place!_

…Okay, get real. Back to the non-sarcastic Robin. Tell them thank you for caring about _my job_, and me and I hope they're doing well. Also, say hi to Marshall for me? Thanks.

You are so awful! And you're still flirting with me. You just don't stop, do you? Pass this _email_ (thanks a lot) to Ted now and tell him to read that next paragraph.

Ted… I'm sure you're not boring. Barney's just being an ass, like he always is. Also, don't tell Barney this, but going against his will, I think I've gotten myself a boyfriend. Yeah, he's English too! Now let this be a secret between you and I. And maybe Lily and Marshall, if you like, but make sure Barney doesn't know about this.

Barney, it does suck. It does suck feeling negative and homesick and lonely. But I can't fly back either, because I'm busy with work. Real work, not sitting there behind a desk signing random documents you don't even read. Real work, like reporting the news, doing research on pandas (it's very serious stuff, pandas are declining greatly in number around the world) and doing live television. Yes, I actually do real work, because I'm not you.

Sigh.

I just really miss you and I want to see you so terribly, but this is Life, I guess. It's not supposed to be easy and you're not supposed to get what you want. So I'll just have to deal with this myself.

R

P.s. Seriously? I'm still wondering why GNB let you choose that email address. Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous? You're a grown ass man!


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: For some reason Fanfiction is messing with my email addresses! I've been fixing them for ages but when I save and publish their emails go all wonky... Then I found out you're not allowed to put an email address up on there. Darn! So anyway, be reminded that these are email exchanges. :)**

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Exactly…

…Like you said, I'm a grown ass man. Which means I can do whatever I like. Including, but not limited to, choosing how I would want my own email address to turn out.

On another note, _what?_ You have a hot English boyfriend? And when did_ that_ happen, Scherbatsky? I mean, I don't doubt your ability to bat your eyelashes and find an attractive dude, but bro, you found someone sexually appealing! That is amazing.

Also, Ted says he thinks that's really awesome and he feels happy for you. Actually, he's saying so much I just told him to email you himself and he happily agreed.

I know it does suck, so please, please let me see that beautiful, gorgeous, pretty little face of yours. You know what, I'll give you a month. If you don't come in a month, I'm going over to find you. And I will do it. I will go and get you, even if it means tearing my best suit and tie.

B

P.s. You know I'm being absolutely serious when I swear on my suit and tie. So don't make me come and get you. It will be dangerous.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: RE: Exactly…

Okay, fine, grown ass man. Do whatever you like. I'm just worried for GNB.

…Barney!

I thought I told you that message was for Ted! You read it! I'm _so_ angry with you right now!

…But, yes. On a truthful note, I did get myself a boyfriend. Blonde. Tall. Attractive. But he's also cute at the same time. I know what you're thinking, and I know right!? How does he do it? Hot_ and_ cute? At the same time? I didn't even know that combination existed. But it does. And it's perfect. It's like he's trying to kill me. Not literally.

Stop mocking the English lads, they're all really good looking. I know I sounded really vain and shallow saying that, but it's true. They are. You keep talking about them like they're some kind of… Of… Fictional character! Like, unicorns. But let yourself be reminded that there are indeed hot guys here in England, thank you.

Oh, oh, oh!

Hold it there, hold it right there!

Did you just call me beautiful, gorgeous and pretty?

That's not very Barney Stinson of you, I must say, to compliment someone from the bottom of his heart.

Ha, okay, joke. Thank you, and you are not too shabby yourself.

Also… Please don't swear on your best suit and tie, because a month is seriously too short. I need at least three. Or maybe five. Actually, I'll take seven… The thing is, I really can't leave London because work is _really_ picking up pace and I can't jump on the plane right now. Unless I quit, which you know I won't, because I value this job.

You, on the other hand…

_Just come! Okay?_

Miss you,

The beautiful, gorgeous **and **pretty one

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Robin.

Please don't make me wreck my suit and tie because you know that would break me into a million pieces.

That is, if the fact that you've gotten a flawless boyfriend has not already. Broken me into a million pieces, I mean. It really just caught me by surprise. Just a few exchanges ago you insisted you wouldn't get a boyfriend. You do change your mind like the weather, don't you?

Now tell me all about it, and I want every detail. How you met him, where you met him, etc. I don't even know his name, for the love of God! I sound like your mum, but I don't care because I really want to know all about it. For real. I'm not letting you get away with bringing me such great news then disappearing before I get to ask you about it.

Yes, yes, I did just call you beautiful, gorgeous and pretty. Now don't flatter yourself.

B

P.s. Checking out the flights right now. Gosh, the things I do for you.


	7. Chapter 7

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Are you trying to tell me you're actually jealous?

Really!

Are you actually jealous of me, for once? Or my totally hot boyfriend, because of two things – he's totally hot _and_ he's got me? Speak for yourself. _Or not_. Because you're paralysed with jealousy and therefore cannot speak coherently from now onwards. Score.

Well… As for the time I said I won't get a boyfriend, I really thought I wouldn't. Until Luke came along. Yeah, that's his name. He's just… Been very nice and all. Plus he's very attractive, so he definitely gets points for that. So I take that back. I take everything I've said about finding males repulsive back, because some of them aren't at all. In fact, I find some of them very charming. So I guess my work on relationships begins here, starting now. Despite my obvious commitment issues. But sheesh! It's the effort that counts, isn't it?

…And I thought you didn't want to know about work? Because that's where I met him. We don't work together, though, no. He just dropped by a long time ago to fix the lights in the hallway… Yeah, he's also a handyman. But that's just… That's not to be counted. I guess. As in, it doesn't matter what he does, or how much he earns, to make me fall in love with him, because I already have and I am the living, breathing proof that there's hope for single American girls in England.

So, I told you you'd be jealous.

R

P.s. REALLY!?

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I totally am NOT.

I totally am not jealous. I am so not jealous, in fact, that I'm going down to the bar tonight to pick up some 10 out of 10 chicks, and bang them. All to prove I'm not jealous.

He's a handyman! No offense, Robin, but you can do much better than a handyman. I don't care if he's attractive, and hot, and nice, and totally kind to you, the fact that he's a handyman means I'll always be better than him.

I mean, really! You could've picked me!

Not like I wanted you to, I mean. I was just stating something.

B

P.s. Yes, really. I'm coming to hunt you down and whisk you away from that boyfriend of yours.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: You totally are.

I'm tolerating your remarks about Luke right now. Because you are totally jealous and you're not even trying to hide. I'll let you off on this one.

You don't care if he's attractive, kind, nice and all that, but I do! Which is exactly why we're dating, once again.

Also, no way I'm dating you. You're not my type! You're totally not my type. And I also happen to be totally not your type as well. Not like I am suggesting we should give it a shot, because we totally should not. I was, like you, simply trying to make a point.

And the point is, we're not each other's type.

We can be each other's wingman, though. How cool would that be!?

R

P.s. Awesome, awesome, and awesome. I love you so much for doing this.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: First of all, I'm so sorry for the super long hiatus. My brain has been being a bit of a jerk lately and I've been suffering from writer's block in the cruelest way for weeks, until today, when everything magically unclogged and I ended up writing five chapters in a row. The Universe is so mean sometimes.**

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: No.

I am not. Jealous. Of you.

Never.

Ever.

B

P.s. I love you too.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Now, now.

Can we not continue arguing? Our emails are getting pretty pointless if you compare them with our first letters.

Seriously.

R

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Ok, fine.

Moving on.

I'm just going to act like a mature adult again. Oh, wait, I always was! A little too mature too soon too, if you get what I mean. Hint: Banging. Another hint: Chicks.

…Okay, okay! Stop giving me that look. You know you are doing that look. That one where it's just slightly less scary than Lily's but actually equally as intimidating.

Let's hop onto the more serious things now, should we? Great. Because I just – wait for it – for real, confirmed the flight. I mean, yeah, you already know that, but 'book' and 'confirm' are two different words with different meanings so I thought I should let you know that my flight has now been _confirmed_. Treat that as confirmation or something.

Anyway! Mark your calendar, young lady, because I'm arriving in two and a half weeks! Right? Now… I'd not know for sure, but I'd probably – very probably – most probably arrive at, say, early evening on the 3rd of April? If I calculated all that time difference stuff right. You know I am rubbish at Maths.

Plus I just wanted to make sure you marked your calendar, (and you really should have, by now. REALLY. Just get to it now!), because I may or may not need you to pick me up at the airport as well on that day. I know, I know, it sounds super feminine, but can't you just be cool about this kind of stuff for once in your life? You're turning into Ted! Live a little! (Sorry, Ted, about that.)

So please do that. Thanks. Really.

And I'd say, preferably NOT with your swanky little boyfriend of yours whose name I happen to have forgotten around.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I accidentally hit send.

To continue off that already super long email that actually made me squirm as I looked back, here is a little bit of information you should know.

Pros of picking up Barney Stinson at the airport:

1. He's awesome. So being around him may bring out the awesome in you too. You can thank him later.

2. He's afraid of getting lost at the airport. Especially at one he's never been to. Actually, the reason why he would be lost at an airport would usually be because he hasn't been there before. So that point I was trying to make was a bit weird. Anyway, by picking him up you'll have potentially saved his life. Which is a good thing.

3. The situation gets ugly when he's afraid. No one has ever seen him piss his pants but that may happen. So do everyone a favour – especially the airport staff – because you don't want that to happen.

Cons of picking up Barney Stinson at the airport:

There are none.

So, there.

I hope I've smacked some sense into your pretty face because that was pretty much what I was aiming for.

Once again, mark your calendar! (I know I've said it before, but one more time won't go amiss.)

See you super soon, Scherbatsky!

B


	9. Chapter 9

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Are you for real?

YES! Of course I'll pick you up at the airport. A million times yes! Finally!

It's been absolute ages. Such a shame I won't be able to see the gang, though, still. Like I said, it's been way too long. I'm pretty sure they don't know how I look or sound like anymore.

Come on, Barnstorm. (I hate nicknames but I'll do this just for you. Just once, though, since you've made me so happy lately I think my skin is glowing. Eek.)

You know I love you just as much as you love me so I would definitely come pick you up at the airport, though I would pay an infinite amount of money just to see you wet yourself in public and possibly also have a huge meltdown.

But here I am, deciding to pick you up anyway, because I'm that kind of girl.

Plus I was thinking of holding up a sign that says Neil Patrick Harris, so when people see me waiting for 'you', they'd start screaming and getting panic attacks. Then out you walk, and they realise it's just another random dude in a suit. I'd love to see the disappointment in their faces. Oh god, I think I am a sadist. But in my humble opinion, I think you guys look alike. So maybe we could even pull this one off.

I've made something of my own here.

Cons of picking up Barney Stinson from the airport:

1. You don't get to see him afraid.

2. He's not really that awesome so it's just a waste of time.

3. He'll only pay attention to – and greet – your rack, and not you.

Sad, but 100% true at the same time, which just makes it even sadder.

By the way, Luke is not my 'swanky little boyfriend'! He is, in fact, six feet tall. Not so 'little' now right there, am I right, Stinson? …I thought so.

So – Yay! I can't wait! Two and a half weeks is going to fly by. Though to be honest, I thought you'd suddenly appear like, tomorrow or something, then ring me up to say you're here and let me freak out. I mean, you know yourself.

What a shame.

All right. My fingers are falling off from all this typing. Imagine if this was a letter! I'm so glad we ditched that letter thing. You've got the wisdom of a room full of hundred-year-olds after all. Cheers. Writing is a pain in the ass.

I really can't wait to see you… See my new awesome haircut and gasp in shock because I always manage to look so damn beautiful.

Toodles! (Did I really just say that? London, once again, is changing me.)

R x (That's a kiss.)

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Granny.

You are a certified granny! You said 'toodles' – who says 'toodles'? My granny. Seriously. She did. What happened to you!?

On the more (kind of) serious note, I can't wait to see your hair. I'm genuinely interested and this is not even remotely sarcastic… And saying that just made me sound like a huge sarcastic jerk. I'm sorry about that. Really, Robs. (Waits for you to physically wince in pain from the nickname calling.) I'm sure you'd pull off any hairstyle. You're the coolest person I've officially met, and I'm saying officially because you can't really meet yourself.

Thanks for agreeing to pick me up though. That's cool of you.

Putting aside the cons right now, since I'm too awesome to be… De-awesomated anyway. (If that's not a word, it is now.)

Tomorrow? What were you thinking! That would be crazy. I can't even get flights a week from now. It's Easter! You know how it is. Everyone's travelling to see his or her loved ones. And you're my loved one, Robin.

Well, I mean,_ one_ of my loved ones, along with the gang, obviously. Gosh, you take things the wrong way.

I did _not _just type that.

That was misleading and awkward.

What I meant was, I don't treat you as a loved one because I fancy you, but because… You're like my sister! Okay? Except you're hot, and I do not encourage or approve of incest, so you're probably _not _my sister then.

The point is, I'm going to be seeing you soon and that's exciting. Because, I love you, you know that.

Damn it!

_Not in that way._

I love you, _as a friend_. Clearly.

B x x (That would be _two_ kisses then. I win.)


	10. Chapter 10

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Were you high on crack when…

…you wrote that letter, or was I high on crack the whole time I was friends with you but only managed to think logically now and have since then decided you're a total and complete nutcase?

Calm down, you little tiger!

I know you love me, and I love you too, _as a friend._ _As if that needed any clarification at all._

I have another suggestion: You were drunk when you wrote that email.

That has to be the only solution.

Or, unless… (Drum roll please.)

_Unless you are in love with me!_

I hate to say I told you so, but… I saw this coming, so… _I told you so_.

Right, okay, that sounded funnier in my head.

Barney!

What is with you anyway? You've been acting funny since Luke came along. (That's his name, by the way. Now remember it.) So utterly odd. I know you like to call new people you meet funny names (tolerating the 'swanky little boyfriend' right now) but this is just… Not you.

If there's anything wrong with the gang or me or just yourself, you need to tell me! Because I care for you, and I hate feeling powerless and having this weird sense of 'there's something wrong but I can't quite tell'. So I'm just putting it out there that if you're upset or anything, _with_ anything, just tell me about it and I'll do my best to make you feel happier.

And I am _so_ not a granny!

People here actually use the word 'toodles'. And other cute ways of saying goodbye, like 'tata' and 'adios' and my personal favourite – one I've received just yesterday from a complete stranger – 'get the hell out of here!'

…It wasn't my fault! I was only sneaking a _little _peek at that guy wearing a suit because… He was wearing a suit…

Okay. I'm sorry.

I mean, I love Luke and all, but I'm still the old me, and I still have those 'oh look, hot guys!' moments I've always used to have with Lily when we have a girls' night out at the bar. But you know I'll never do anything to hurt him because I think this relationship could be going somewhere so just ignore anything I said about the peeking.

Plus now I'm seeing you so soon!

This month is going to be great. Just… Incredible. I know I say this way too much, but you're still the most awesome person I know and nothing's going to change that, you know? …Actually, I'm sure you do, you egotistic bastard.

Love you too.

R (I'm not using kisses anymore! You turn everything into a competition. Right now I'm heaving a sigh so deep I'm also dramatically sliding down the back of my bedroom door, at the same time rubbing the sweat off my forehead.)


	11. Chapter 11

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Few things to address.

Okay. Few things to address. I've compiled a neat list since I'm an organised person. Ready?

Adios is Spanish, so technically, that does not count. You're ahead of yourself, Robin!

I'm glad I'm still the most awesome person alive in your eyes. That is the only good news I've heard all day. Apart from two minutes ago when my boss told me I could have a bigger office. That's pretty good news too.

You are totally in love with me! Your theories are utter bullshit, listen to mine. You flirt with me like a middle-schooler. Correction: You flirt with me like a lovestruck middle-schooler! How long have you even had a crush on me? Face it, Scherpoopie. You know you're only having a temporary (keyword is temporary here) boyfriend to numb your loneliness because I'm miles from where you are and you totally miss me.

Truth is…

Look, I hope this doesn't make you feel awkward or anything, because that isn't my intention and that is the worst thing you can get out of this.

But I felt as though this has to be said, so I hope you don't mind because all I am being here, really, is utterly honest.

The thing is, I feel a bit insecure after Luke came into your life because he's… It's like he's this big swooping hero and you're that beautiful lady he rescues and picks up as he flies around the sky.

And, I know.

You're still the old Robin Scherbatsky, and you haven't changed. But I've also known you for about a hundred and fifteen centuries now and I know what you're like.

And you're so in love right now.

To be truthful, I feel terrified.

I mean, of course, I'm really happy for you and all that, don't get me wrong. I'm not some jealous dude who's trying to keep you away from Luke because that's just… Not right.

It's just that his arrival had been so sudden and I guess it hit me hard, and in the bad way as well, because it's making me feel vulnerable and sceptical about a lot of things, including how our friendship could go.

Remember when Victoria dumped Ted because he wouldn't stop being friends with you?

Yeah, it's a little like this.

I mean, we've dated, and it's not awkward, but what if Luke doesn't want me to be friends with you anymore?

I don't want that to happen and I don't want you to choose.

Anyway, back to what I was saying, I feel like I'm _forgettable_ now that he's here.

I'm sure he's a nice guy, so I'm not bashing him or anything, and he's obviously incredibly lucky to have gotten you into his life, but… Sometimes I feel as though I could lose you any minute and that sense of uncertainty is driving me insane.

I'm scared of the day you see something awesome, and instead of thinking, 'Hey! That's pretty awesome, I need to tell Barney about it!' you think, 'Hey! That's really awesome, I can't wait to tell Luke about it!'

This is what I fear.

I know it sounds selfish and I'm sorry if I've been acting up lately. I was just… Thinking.

Though never mind that.

I hope you do know that I'm really happy for you and Luke. Because I am. I truly am, from the bottom of my heart and all that crappy, cheesy stuff.

No matter whom you want to call up when you see something awesome, I just want you to know that it's okay, whomever you pick. It's not a competition and I've never expected it to be one.

So… Whew.

I'm glad I got that bad boy out of my system. That's a REALLY long email and I feel sorry for your eyes. I was totally whiny and unlike my usual self.

One thing to take away is – I love you (as a friend, duh!) no matter what you choose to do and whom you choose to be with. If Luke makes you happy, I'm happy you're happy. Okay, little birdy?

I'll see you very soon!

Love you.

B


	12. Chapter 12

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Barney, I had no idea.

Barney.

I really, really, _really_ was not expecting that from you at all. I wasn't even aware. Wait! I'm not mad at you. Why the hell would I be?

Let's start from that whole list thing again.

First of all, I really need to get out into the world more often, don't I? Shame on me for not knowing 'adios' is Spanish.

Two, don't worry. You'll always be first place on my awesome list. It's a reserved spot.

Three – I totally am… Not! Stop flirting with me! _You're_ the lovestruck middle-schooler here. You fancy me. I knew it. I knew it from the beginning. Don't you dare try to deny it now because it's too late.

As for four…

Look.

I'm so glad you were this honest with me. In fact, I don't think anyone has ever been this honest with me, ever, in my life. So thank you for that, because I really do appreciate it. Plus, you know I needed to know. I mean, I had to admit, it's totally not you to say all of _this_ – to talk about your feelings so openly – and we'd all know, but you did anyway.

So I really appreciate it.

Okay – in actual response to what you're saying:

I don't feel awkward or anything! Okay, maybe a little bit, but just a tiny little bit. It's feelings after all, and we're both beginners at that. But we're learning, aren't we?

I know I can be a bit (very) annoying sometimes with all my 'Luke Luke Luke Luke Luke' all day long and frankly it gets unbearable, but I promise he's not here to replace you. In fact, you guys do not even overlap in my life. As in, you're you, my best friend, and he's him, my boyfriend, and I'm not letting either replace one.

Barney – calm down! I _know _you're not that jealous, creepy guy and I'm really happy you've not turned out to be because I need you in my life just as much as I need Luke, and even possibly more… You're my best friend after all. I have you to keep me on my toes and reel me back into reality when I drift – that's what I love about you, your honesty, and your existence will never be underappreciated, okay?

Our friendship is going the right way and it's going to go a long way – I can assure you. Longer than you can possibly imagine and probably even longer than you'd be happy with. It's like you'll have to physically peel me away from you in 50 years' time because I'd still be constantly trying to make you laugh and tell your lame stories and I'd still be the same person as I was all the years back.

You're not forgettable.

You're anything _but _forgettable!

You're very important to me and I need you to know and remember that.

You're still my awesome guy. You're not getting replaced and you're not being forgotten in any way.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting any of that, and that had been a really long email – unusually long – but I'm glad you got it off your chest. Sentimental Barney is actually a really cool guy but Normal Barney likes to convince Sentimental Barney that he's a loser. So Sentimental Robin is here trying to punch Normal Barney in the face for being a jerk, because Sentimental Barney is awesome!

Luke does make me unbelievably happy and you liking him is super important to me, so I'm happy you're okay with him, because I love you both so much and it'd kill me if you two didn't get along.

…What a cheesy email. (Yeah… I was just proofreading it and I realised I may actually be a granny after all. But I bet you feel much better now! Worth every single muscle spasm I am having on my hands right now from the crazy amount of typing.)

Anyway, I can't wait to see you in three days, I've told Luke all about you and he seems to love you already.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE COOLEST (however long you're staying) EVER.

Jumping up and down already!

R


	13. Chapter 13

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Okay.

Okay.

I'm glad everything's okay.

And I'm glad you're okay. With everything – what I said, what I felt, what you said, what you felt, about you, about me, about Luke… _Everything_. Because there's nothing more important than that.

Plus who would put up with so much of the whiny, sentimental part of me except you, Scherbatsky? You're my golden girl.

As for the trip – I'm packing, I'm packing, and I'm packing!

(What I mean is I'm sitting on the couch watching TV right now.)

Hey! Chill out. There's still two and a half days to go and you know I can finish packing in an hour or so. It's not as efficient as your 20-minute packing but I need time to think about the suits I'm bringing. Sometimes I feel as though I'm biased towards certain ones but then I don't want the rest to feel left out so I bring them along anyway.

Okay, enough about my suits.

I'd be thrilled to be here for two weeks, but I'm here for only a week, seeing as I am a working adult and GNB would fire me (maybe. I mean, I have not attempted that before) if I tried to run away for more than a week. It's just a week, but that's seven days, and you can do a lot in seven days. Right? It's seven days! That's a lot. It's really not shabby at all.

I'd probably land on the 3rd of April at around 6:15pm, your time. Blah blah blah, boring details.

Get your Neil Patrick Harris sign ready because if you're going to pick me up from the airport we're going to make it awesome.

Can't wait to see you. (I wonder how many times we've said those exact five words… Probably a shit ton.)

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Yay!

Everything's going to be great, even if it's just going to be for a visit. I feel like the equivalent of a child going to bed on Christmas Eve. _The excitement._ Gee. I feel fluttery.

There are two and a half days! Just start packing, will you. _And I am chill!_ (I'm not. This is inner Robin talking. The Robin that knows what she's doing. Someone please sedate me.)

Plus why do you have… – The suits part! Barney, you're going to be suited up, even over here? Don't! The weather's bipolar. It's fricking crazy. You'd think it's sunny but then the next second everything just comes pissing down. It'd ruin your expensive suits and though there's nothing much I can guarantee, that I can. Just wear something comfortable and easy. Like those Armani sweatpants or something, except don't actually wear sweatpants out because I think you'd prefer to breeze around in knee-length pants. It feels much better.

Okay, okay, and okay.

Got all that jotted down. The blah blah boring details.

Seven days only is great on its own, and it would be even more so if you were my sister. Not that I don't love her, but I think we can agree that seven days with her is enough for anybody. But you're my best friend! I'm going to be barring the door and not letting you leave when the week is over because it's _simply not enough_.

That's not even a debatable topic so don't talk back.

Yeah.

We've said it a shit ton, didn't we? Won't hurt to say it once more though, loverboy!

**_Can't wait to see YOU!_**

R


	14. Chapter 14

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I'VE LANDED.

Ok I'm using the airport wifi just to tell you I've just landed, collected my stuff and I have no idea on your whereabouts. Tell me you're here, Scherbatsky. Or I will start crying in the middle of the airport because I really was not joking around when I was talking about the meltdowns in public I can get. Come on, come on, come on. Don't do this to me.

I'm walking around looking and I don't see you! I'm almost certain you're hiding somewhere, about to surprise me with a massive bunch of balloons or something. I know you all too well.

Stop being coy.

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: I'm that idiot in the green blouse.

And I'm right here!

I think I spot you.

R

* * *

"_Neil!_ I mean, uh, Barney! Neil? Barney? Neil! Barney! Here!"

Having heard his name called repeatedly, Barney whisked around, searching for a feminine figure in a green blouse. If all was going to plan, that same figure should be holding a massive sign with the words 'Neil Patrick Harris' plastered on it as well, but he wasn't sure if she actually did what they had so jokingly talked about.

"_Barney! Here!_" The voice rang again, though tinted with excitement, this time picking up frustration.

He scanned the crowd, furrowing his brow as he watched families and friends reunite with hugs and kisses, until his eyes landed on a familiar face. Their eyes met, and for a split second, the two broke out into a grin.

"Robin!" He yelped and hurried over. His face lit up and he was hardly able to contain his longing for his gorgeous lady friend he had missed so dearly for months too long, stumbling quite a bit as he struggled to heave his heavy suitcase.

A hug took place; the kind of hug that you only saw in movies and the kind of hug that leaves you wanting for more, with the girl lifted from the floor entirely and the two smiling like blatant idiots. That seemed to have caught several strangers' attention as they felt eyes land upon their sweet reunion, but that did not cause them to end their hug in haste.

"Oh, Robin, I've missed you so…" Barney mumbled, burrowing his face in her hair and allowing the scent of her perfume fill his lungs. Taking in her smell, he rested his hands on the low of her back, the shear fabric of her blouse pressed against her skin. Unable to hide the delight, a chuckle was let out in between the phrases he was speaking. "Your hair is lovely, your face is lovely, your entire existence is lovely and I need to stop saying the word lovely."

Tittering, Robin allowed her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, desperate for their embrace to last as long as possible. "I've missed you too," she muttered, her voice lowering to a whisper, almost as if they were seven years old and discussing the plans of their own secret club. "I can't wait to tell you all about my current life. Work, my flat, Luke…"

For a fleeting moment, Barney shuddered slightly at the word 'Luke' but he was unable to fathom out the reason he did. It really was not that he did not like Luke, because he has made it perfectly clear to Robin that he had nothing against him with the thoughtful email he had sent her just a couple of days ago. He was positive he has had his feelings all worked out.

What left him feeling conflicted, however, was the purpose of the email itself. Was it really sent to prove to Robin that he felt happy for her and to state clear he was not jealous of any sort?

Thinking back now, he realised the only reason he had sent the email was to kick his inner voice to the curb and possibly shut it up and out of the Universe inside of his head. For a while now, he had been trying to convince himself he was happy with the way things had turned out between the two of them, and he was happy that she had found herself safety in another man's arms, despite the fact that they were not of his own.

The friction between what he felt and what he said - was that why he had shuddered at the sound of Luke's name? Perhaps he had felt ashamed of his thoughts on their romantic relationship, or perhaps something had clicked inside of him at the exact moment which made him realise he would always be 'the best friend' and no more to that. And it was not an entirely good feeling. There were days when he had felt like he deserved more than the 'best friend' title simply because of the years they had known each other, but there were days when he felt as though her love life was really none of his business and he was just wasting his time trying to figure out how he truly felt about her.

Barney's mind was buzzing then, but thankfully Robin failed to capture any sense but pure joy and genuine pleasure as she murmured on about the upcoming week's grand plans.

"…You can stay at my flat and sleep on the couch. Also, remind me to pick up some beer from the supermarket on the way back because we're running low on that." She finished, breaking the embrace, tugging at his collar in satisfaction as he smiled at her subconscious use of the word 'we' instead of the 'I' she had been using for so long in her letters and emails.

Boy, did it feel good to finally be reunited.

"Okay, enough talking. I'm boring you." Robin decided as they continued studying each other's faces, though in honest words, neither of them has changed at all in terms of physical appearance. "Let's head to the car and we'll get you settled in a heartbeat! London is_ amazing_ and I need you to be here with me." Turning her heel, she giggled at the idea and took his arm, almost dragging him across the vast sea of people and disappearing into the distance.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I'm uploading a lot more frequently now because it's the holidays and I obviously have nothing better to do than to sit at home with a pen and a notebook! Here's Chapter 15. :)**

* * *

"I'm sorry, but you're not sleeping tonight." Robin announced as she stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. "We need to play catch up."

Sat on the couch rearranging the pillows and a blanket, Barney looked up in alert, ready to talk back. "I need the sleep! Stop being a pair of bossypants. I'm meeting your _boyfriend_ tomorrow and I can't look like a hobo who has not had decent sleep in sixty-four years. It's calling making a good first impression." Though that would be the correct term to describe Luke, he had often clicked his tongue unnaturally when using the word 'boyfriend', clearly still not quite close to letting his best friend go.

Noticing the tension in his voice, she could tell he was nervous about tomorrow. "Relax. I've made your first impression. He thinks you're brilliant. So let us settle on the couch and play a game of catch up where we talk about how we've been recently, because I need to know all about it."

"Surely we can do that tomorrow!" He yawned, happy with the arrangement of his temporary bed and not paying attention to a thing she was saying. "Unless what you really meant was hook up, which, in that case, we can do tonight."

"Barney! I know what I meant, and I meant catch up. For any other person, yeah, we can do that some other time, but for you, I'm afraid not." She declared, headstrong.

Silence.

The seconds ticked by and the firmness in her voice turned into a nag as she pleaded with him.

"Come on! This is important. I need to know what you've been up to."

"First of all," Barney raised a finger in the air, as if making a point. "Does he know I'm spending the week over at your place? He's your _boyfriend_ after all, and as someone's girlfriend, I feel like you shouldn't be accepting random – though very attractive and awesome – Americans in your flat for a week's stay. There'll definitely be some hanky panky going on around."

"No!" She yapped, settling on the couch. "We've talked about it and he's completely fine with it. He knows you're a pretty decent human being, and I know I'm not going to mess with things and put my relationship in jeopardy, because I think he is who I would want to spend the next few years with." She concluded, a smile forming on her face.

Barney rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I get it, sweet gestures, a confession, big romantic speech, blah, blah and blah."

She chuckled softly at his eyes rolled up the ceiling as she nudged him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd understand."

Barney cleared his throat and sat up slightly more attentively. "Now where do we start?"

"What do _you_ want to talk about?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. You brought it up."

"Fine, I'll start."

"Okay."

"The people at my workplace are really friendly-"

"Yep. Know that."

"-And I met Luke because he was-"

"You told me that, too. You told me everything through email!"

"Gee! Fine. Tell me about the gang, then."

"Ah, the gang."

A thoughtful grin spread across Barney's face as he was reminded of New York.

"Everyone's fine. Just the same old mundane activities that have been going on. Lily's been doing a bit more of painting these days and Marshall's quite happy with being a father. Ted's still moping about finding the love of his life, and we, as true friends do, have been teasing him tremendously about it. Oh yeah, plus he's also been designing a few buildings. I think the architecture thing is really doing him good." He paused. "And of course, we all really miss you."

"Wow! You guys are really…" Robin hesitated, unsure of the choice of adjective she should put. "…Boring." She finished, seemingly happy with the conclusion she had come to.

"But it's really good as well. You know." She spoke up, quickly. "The life I've left sort of left behind has made me miss all the things I've never thought I would. I mean, I miss Lily's loud chewing."

Barney gaped at her confession.

"Wow. Even Lily's loud chewing?"

Nodding, she ducked her head. "Even Lily's loud chewing."

"So that's really saying something, huh."

"It is."

She bit her lip and an awkward lingering moment passed by, but the two was glad they were next to each other again, after so long.

"Okay," Robin muttered, rubbing her eyes. "I'll let you go to bed then. That's enough for a night and frankly I'm getting a little sleepy myself. Plus it's nearly two in the morning and you know what Ted always says."

Shrugging, he could only agree. "Nothing good happens after 2 in the morning."

"That's right." Getting up, she nudged him on the shoulder, her eyes twinkling despite her exhaustion. "Good night, Barney."

"Good night Robin."

He watched her shadow disappear down the hallway and smiled in simple satisfaction and reminisces. Turning out the table light she had put on the coffee table for him, he settled on the couch, stared into the darkness as he tried getting used to some newly found jet lag.

He thought he would stay up the entire night from the hours of time difference between New York and London, but thankfully that was not the case. It had been a long day and he was sound asleep in a matter of minutes, excited for the arrival of a new day.


	16. Chapter 16

"_Get up!_"

Barney woke to a start with a frantic Robin nudging him on the chest, calling for him to wake up. Having realised his eyes had opened; she broke into a wide grin, excited for the day's plans.

"You're up! Like, _finally_."

He groaned, frustrated to have his sleep taken away. Whining, he pushed her arm away, at the same time drawing his blanket in and tucking it under his chin. "Go away, I'm sleepy."

"No, get up!" Robin spoke through gritted teeth as she struggled to peel the blanket from him. "We're meeting Luke in half an hour and if we don't leave soon we're going to be late. And weren't you all keen on leaving a good impression last night? Wouldn't be great if you turned up late now would it?"

She knew she must have pressed some sort of button within him, because he sat straight up, checking his bare wrist, fumbling for his watch.

"_Thirty minutes?_"

"Yeah… Thirty minutes."

Barney stared at the clock on the wall, which read approximately 9:30 and paused.

Another groan.

"You didn't tell me it was so early in the morning!"

"I know, I'm sorry… Doesn't make a difference now though. Hurry up! Twenty nine minutes and counting now."

"Okay, okay… Gee." He muttered, gathering himself. "Let me just get my stuff. You get changed and I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Okay – you get washed and dressed as quickly as you can."

"I will! Now let me get off the couch, will you? You're in the way. I need to shower."

She stared at him, an eyebrow raised.

"You're going to take a shower? In fifteen minutes?"

"What?"

"I mean, you have fifteen – fourteen now – minutes, and you are going to take a shower? That'll take forever."

"Relax. I got this."

He reassured her but she still seemed somewhat indecisive towards his approach, and he noticed.

"Honestly. I'll be back before you can utter 'Barney Stinson really is sexily awesome'."

"Ha ha, you're funny. I'll never say that."

"Good. Gives me plenty of time then doesn't it."

Having their usual quips, banter and light atmosphere back was really something they both undeniably loved, and Robin could not help but smile as she watched him smirk in her direction.

"_Just get off the damn couch already!_"


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Spoilers - Getting in touch with sentimental Barney is awesome. At first I was actually worrying it may be a bit unlike him to act this way but since he had that 'holy-crap-I'm-so-vulnerable-right-now-and-gushing -over-Robin' moment with Lily in the early seasons and these are really just his internal thoughts I think that should be fine. :)**

* * *

As they approached the front steps of the tiny café in the corner of a somewhat busy street, Barney paused, taking a step back from the entrance.

He noticed his reflection in the big glass window of the café and stood examining his appearance. He had his best suit on, his hair combed and his face washed and shaved. He did not smell, and not a single thing about him was out of place today. Normally, on a day like this, he would feel extra confident, going headfirst at new things, feeling invincible, unfazed by anything.

Yet today… He felt intimidated.

He stood there for a while longer, staring at his reflection.

Yeah, he had nice hair. But what if Luke had _nicer_ hair?

Honestly, his teeth aren't bad. But what if Luke had _perfect _teeth?

And his suit… What if Luke's wearing a similar suit right now… Or worse, the same suit? And he was wearing it _better_?

Plus he had been hitting the gym frequently over the past few months and had achieved quite a build. But as Robin mentioned, Luke was a lot taller than he was, and what if he had been hitting the gym frequently over the past _year_ and was in much better shape than he was?

God, what if he looked puny next to him? That would be_ such_ a turn-off, would it not?

Feeling a panic attack arriving, Barney almost choked on the next words he said aloud.

"We can't go in."

"Barney, are you being a wuss?" Robin mused, the edge of her mouth curling upwards, forming an almost smirk.

Staring at her in the eye, he snorted. "Me? Wuss? No, I'm not! I'm feeling utterly confident, by the way. Because today is my kind of day. Look, that even rhymed. Which just pretty much proves how awesome I am."

She smiled at his childlike behaviour and turned around, placing her hand on the door handle. "Well then, awesome man. Let's get in. Luke's waiting. Come on!"

He twitched nervously as he focused on his suit; the same way a teenager would when bought a simple three-piece suit for the first time. "Yeah… You know what? Let's not. Let's go back to your apartment."

Letting go of the door handle, she rested her hand on his shoulder, which just made him feel worse. "Gee, Barney Stinson. You're a grown ass man. And he's just another grown ass man. What is with you grown ass men being scared of other grown ass men?"

He chuckled. "That's a lot of the use of the phrase 'grown ass man' in one conversation."

"_That's not the point._ The point is you _need_ to meet this guy! He's brilliant. You'll love him. I'm sure you will. That is, if you even get through the door in the first place."

Shrugging her hand off his shoulder, he breathed out, a little too loudly. "Fine. But don't let us sit there for three hours because I'd rather be dead."

Grateful to finally get into the air-conditioned café, she flashed him a quick reassuring smile to prove she would stay true to her words. "It won't happen."

Jutting his chin out, Barney looked at her disapprovingly, as if he were dealing with a professional liar. "You swear?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "I swear."

He squinted at her. "On what?"

Rolling her eyes further up, she sighed. "On my career or something. If I had to roll my eyes any further up they would have gone to heaven."

A satisfied smile grew on Barney's face.

"Good."


	18. Chapter 18

"Hey hey hey!" Robin almost yelled as she spotted Luke sitting by himself in a quieter corner of the overall buzzing café. "So sorry we're a bit late, bit of a rush-" she gestured to Barney. "-And this guy's having a pretty bad jet lag moment right now."

"Ha, I see. Hi… Barney? Is that your real name? Luke. So nice to be finally seeing you in person! I feel like you're a teenage pop star because Robin's pretty much been obsessed with you. You're like, 90% of what she says. Hope your jet lag's okay, man. We're going to be sitting here for three hours."

Barney's jaw dropped, and Luke chuckled, reaching out a hand for him to shake, and they exchanged a firm handshake, almost a businesslike one.

"I'm joking."

They shook hands, and Barney surveyed Luke, scanning his features.

Nice hair? _Check._

Nicer hair than him? _Nope._

Teeth? _They're actually perfect._

Had muscles? _Check._

Looked generally so much sexier? _Not really._

Suit? _He's not wearing a suit._

_Okay, that did it. Not wearing a suit, not on my level. I won,_ Barney thought.

Smiling genuinely, he cleared his throat. "Yeah, that's my real name. So nice to see you too. At first I was like, 'I'm going to hate this dude's guts.' But man, you're pretty awesome. Seriously."

Robin stood between the two of the awkwardly as the two exchanged laughs, and as Luke noticed his girlfriend's uneasiness, he got around to pulling the chair out for her so she could take a seat.

And as he did, Barney continued examining his appearance.

Luke was wearing chinos, a purple polo shirt and a pair of brown Vans. Normally, upon seeing a man dressed like that, he would have snickered or snorted at his lack of suited-up-ness, but since he was only thinking in his head and not speaking aloud, he knew he had to quietly admit that he, in fact, did rock the outfit.

Noticing the awkward silence, Robin cleared her throat, picking up the plastic menu. "Right. I really don't want this to be weird! You two have a look and I'll go get the coffee. What do you guys want?" She asked nervously.

Not wanting the lady to pay for their coffee, Luke volunteered to be the one purchasing, which Barney thought to be a strangely comforting gesture.

He was glad he did not hate Luke. And to be honest, he even liked him. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, despite the fact that he used to think of him as the person who 'took Robin away from him'.

She looked up at Luke, who was standing up now, a wallet in his hand. "I'll get my usual latte," she cooed, something she only did when she felt affectionate.

"A latte for the lady," he quipped, pretending to mark it down on his hand with his finger acting as a pen, a move that made her smile. "And you?" He grinned at Barney.

"A latte as well would be awesome."

"Three lattes then." He muttered, heading to the counter. "Be right back!"

The second he was out of earshot, Barney sat up, resting his elbows on the table. "He's pretty great."

"Isn't he?" responded a perked up Robin.

"Yeah. At first I thought I was going to hate him because you made him sound so attractive in your emails. I was like, 'What if he's more awesome than me?' and all. You know me. But he seems cool. I like him, I really do. I'm not just saying that to make you happy or whatever. We're _way_ past that stage of friendship where we fake our feelings."

Lightly resting a hand on his arm, she smiled gratefully. "I'm glad you do. I don't need your, you know, _approval_ or anything, but being best friends and all, it's so much better if you two just met and got along."

"Yep, I get it. I'm glad I do, too."

Luke returned shortly with the lattes and soon the awkwardness had completely faded from when they had first met.

They sat and talked, Luke about meeting Robin, though Barney had already heard the story from her weeks back in time, Robin on her job and settling in London, and Barney on New York, the gang and all the embarrassing stories Robin was ever caught in.

The three of them sat sipping their coffee in bliss and contentment, and even though he felt as though there was a bit too much milk put in the drink that made him feel a little like hurling, he threw the thought aside and complimented the café.

It was just that kind of day where everybody was happy. There did not need to be any negativity. It was good like that.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: A little side note which is not relevant to the story here. RIP Cory Monteith. Beautiful man - so talented and too young. I've never watched Glee but this is equally devastating, as it should be. Fans or not, I hope you are all coping.**

* * *

"I told you he was great and you'd like him! We didn't even stay for three hours." Robin breezed as they took off from the corner café.

There was a sudden pause in Barney's footsteps.

"Wait," Barney frowned. "Did we just ditch Luke?"

"What! No. He's going back to work in a bit – somewhere near here – so he thought he should just chill out in the café for a while. So… No. We didn't ditch him."

"Oh… Okay."

"Yeah."

"…You really are a bunch of freaks! Working during the Easter holidays. That's like, slavery or something."

"Freak, singular." She corrected, smiling. "I'm having my week off. Partially because it's Easter and partially because you're here."

"I know… But still!" He grumbled, but she could tell he was glad her boyfriend was not coming with them. He thought they really could use some more time spent alone.

They liked each other, but they had just met and barely knew each other. Plus, their friendship had not really gone beyond the stage of interacting smoothly without Robin's presence so bringing Luke along would just mean even more awkwardness.

"So what are we up to next?" Barney enquired, kicking a pebble along the way on the street.

"_I'm glad you asked._" Robin's face lit up and she flashed a grin. "Because I have a good idea."

Without sparing a moment, she grabbed his hand before he could react and half ran, half dragged him all the way back to the street where her apartment was located, which was not that far really, considering they had only taken about ten minutes when they had walked over in the morning.

The moment they have reached their destination, Robin turned around to see a panting Barney's face flush crimson.

"Uh, what are we up to exactly?" He wheezed, gasping.

"You're not exactly in shape, are you? And I thought you've been spending some time at the gym." She simpered, upon noticing his shortness of breath, to which he dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"Shush. So, what are we doing? Seriously." He puffed, awaiting her response.

Knowing Robin, she would probably throw him a party out of the blue on a hot air balloon, but then again, there must be a reason she had ran all the way back. Hot air balloons did not come in the middle of streets, and that was not something difficult to know.

All the while he was awaiting her answer, the coy silence that followed left him confused, and the appearance of a motorbike had left him even more so.

"What? You have a motorbike? Is that yours?"

The same shifty silence followed, leaving him slightly frustrated.

"Robin!"

"What?" She glanced up.

"What are we doing? Seriously! Gee. Just tell me already. Is this yours?" He pointed to the motorbike, which was parked oddly on the side of the street, almost as if it did not belong.

And again, there was no response.

Starting to get heated, he loosened his collar and shifted his tie, something he had always done when he was irked.

Without uttering a word, Robin pulled on a helmet she had retrieved from the trunk, put it on, got one for her best friend and secured it firmly onto his head, despite his various protests on how 'helmets and suits did not match'.

Hopping onto the motorbike in one swift motion, she nearly had to drag Barney on behind her, and, again, in spite of his whines, still, on the issue of helmets and suits.

"What the hell are we doing? For the last time! At least let me know before you put me on this dangerous ride. I'm pretty sure you don't have a licence. And I'm probably going to die. God, Robin! What is with you for the past ten minutes?" Barney blurted. "My suit is going to be scrubbed and ruined! Plus that helmet looks awful! How-"

For the first time, she acknowledged him by turning around, and facing him. Her eyes twinkled mischievously, and at once he knew she was up to no good again.

On that note, he stopped talking immediately, half thrilled but half frustrated from being ignored and not having an answer.

She flashed a grin right at him, turning on the engine of the motorbike.

"Hold on tight, loverboy. We're going _sightseeing_."


	20. Chapter 20

"You know, you could've told me, right? I was freaking out over there." Barney complained, throwing his hands into the air as they sped down the bridge. "But I guess some people just like watching others suffer. I mean, I have this theory that you are actually some sort of sadist, as in, you-"

Robin interrupted sharply, keeping him quiet almost right away. "You're going to fall off this motorbike if you don't shut up and put your arms around me!"

"No! That looks so weird. And your hair's in my face. Stop that." He spluttered, shaking his head to get rid of the hair that had happened to cover his entire face with the help of the strong breeze.

"_Just do it!_" She yelled, growing sick of his complaints.

Knowing he had been defeated, he huffed, rolling his eyes as he reluctantly putting his arms around her waist, the whole time feeling uncomfortable about the move. "Okay, okay. Whatever."

Robin clicked her tongue. "I saw that. Don't roll your eyes at me."

"You didn't even have your head turned around facing me."

"I can see it from the rear view mirror, dummy."

"Shut up and focus on driving before we both fly off the bridge, Scherpoopie."

They sped through the bridge, and Barney could spot the clock tower and the house of parliament right in front of him.

"Holy crap, that's the Big Ben! And that golden thing I don't actually know!" He craned his neck, wide-eyed, at the same time keeping his arms around her waist to keep his balance.

"Heck yeah! I know you'd love this little, speedy tour. That's the house of parliament, by the way. Recently learnt that." She grinned upon hearing the excitement in his voice. "Next up, the London eye. Watch out for it, it's close."

She turned the corner, kept driving and turned another, and soon the London eye was close in sight.

"Look!" She hollered like an ecstatic five year old as she pointed to the gigantic Ferris wheel, almost as if she were introducing to him her very own toy collection.

"This is _pretty_ cool," Barney admitted, gaining more and more interest in the city by the second. He studied the roads, the people and the noises that were all around him. Teenagers shouting, families having fun, the buzzing sounds of all the vehicles, and that left him, once again, wide-eyed. "So different from New York."

"I know right? Oh look!" Robin pointed at the red buses casually cruising around, knowing it would be quite a big deal to him, as when she had first moved here, she was as fascinated with them as ever.

"_Red _buses too. I feel like Paddington Bear or something." He commented, clearly impressed.

"Okay, that's enough around here. Moving on – We're going to get some ice cream. Then we're going to see the Buckingham palace, visit Harrods and maybe the Brit museum, and do all the English stuff every tourist will ever do." She smiled, recalling the time when she had first set foot in the city and done all those things in the first few days.

"What? Can we not go to the museum? I mean, museums are _boring_. And probably filled with boring people too."

Still speeding along the busy streets, she rolled her eyes, about to say something, but was interrupted.

"We can get Chinese and go back to your place!" He suggested hopefully.

Robin seemed to have pondered about it for a moment, because after all, she had been to the Brit museum and she _really_ did not think it was boring at all. In fact, she thought the mummies were just the right level of creepy and she loved that gift shop.

But then again, this was Barney's week. She wanted to make the most out of the seven days she would be spending with him, and now that he had so strongly opposed the idea of going to the museum, she thought it was only fair they fulfilled each other's requests once in a while.

Besides, if she were to go there with him, he would probably be whining the entire time, wanting to leave, and what fun would that be?

"Fine. But wherever I'm going, you're following. In simple terms, you're staying with me." Robin concluded, happy with her decision.

Barney seemed to be pleased with her decision as well, but found a way in teasing her again, as he always did.

"_'You're staying with me?' _Really. You're like, the only person I know well enough to sleep with and have awkward moments afterwards in this city. I'm obviously staying with you. In fact, I'm all yours for the next six days."

"Good. I was just about to say you didn't have a choice anyway." She turned around for a split second, giving him a wink.


	21. Chapter 21

"Okay. First of all, how the _hell_ has Day Four ended?" Robin had her hands on her hips and was standing by the corridor again, in the exact position on the night when Barney had first arrived.

"Well, I think, by logic… _And I may be wrong_, but I think it is Day Four because we've just gone through four days." Barney quipped sarcastically as he rested on the couch, once again rearranging his sleep surroundings.

She paused, squinting at him.

"I didn't mean it in _that_ way."

And he paused, eyeing her.

"I did."

Throwing her hands in the air, she surrendered before the game of wits and sass got too far, which she knew would.

"Okay! Whatever. All I was thinking was what we were going to do tomorrow. We've been pretty much everywhere. And I_ do_ mean everywhere." She stared at the ceiling from the corner of her eye, crossing her arms and in desperate need of inspiration.

"Oh, come here. Look at you. Trying so hard to be a tour guide. Just calm down for now. I'm pretty sure we'll figure it out tomorrow or something." He extended an arm and patted the couch with his other hand, gesturing for her to come over and sit, and she did.

"I know, I don't mean to freak out, not even ever so slightly. It's just that… We only have two and a half days left and that sucks. I really want to make it a special two and a half days."

She sighed, distressed.

"I know."

His voice was gentle, and upon hearing the tenderness in his words, she knew she was being too hard on herself, and he thought so, too.

Why was she constantly trying to be that perfect tour guide who knew everything about every little alley in the city? _She_ had barely stayed long enough in London on her own to discover all about the place. However, for the past few days, she had been whizzing him all around town on her motorbike, taking him here, taking him there, taking him everywhere; places ranging from the famous tourist attractions to the small cafés located on the ends of quiet streets she had found welcoming.

It was just then, at that moment, that something had dawned on her; the realisation that they have not yet had a proper conversation since the first night Barney had arrived.

Sure, they did talk about themselves, and to be honest, they have kept in touch for so long they really did not have that much catching up to do, but still, it was different talking in person. Talking in person somehow made her feel as though their friendship was more close-knitted and personal than what it had seemed talking online.

Robin rested her elbow on the back of the couch, turning on her side, and supporting her head with the same arm, she stared at him, lost in thought. And while she was doing so, she had failed to notice that he, too, was doing the same, deep in thought, and for a moment, it was peaceful in the room.

She was thinking about all the places they could see together tomorrow, still, and all the things they could talk and have a laugh about. It was not like Barney would expect things to be perfect, because as they had both learned, the more you try to plan things, the more things tend to run its own course. But, still. At least for now, she was – sort of – responsible for him.

At the other end of the couch, Barney was thinking too. He thinking about something far more complicated, complex and difficult to explain. He was thinking about that he did not dare speak aloud.


	22. Chapter 22

**Longest AN ever, keep scrolling if you're only here for the story!**

**First of all, thank you for the nice comments! But there's a thing here - Should I change my pen name? I currently have one in mind, but I was hesitant because I know my current name is how some people recognise me, and I didn't want them to be all 'Huh? Who's that?' afterwards. I ****_know_**** I'll be writing a ton more and I was wondering if it's better to just change it now so when my audience (hopefully) gets bigger there will be less confusion. What do you think?**

* * *

"Day Five. Rise and shine, Scherpoopie!" Barney's voice rang through the house as he squatted near Robin's bedside, tugged at her blankets as well as her bed-sheets, trying with all his might to wake her up. And so far, he has had no success.

Sighing, he got up and walked to the other side of her bed, doing the same 'tugging-of-blankets-and-bed-sheets' routine all over again, this time pulling the blinds open, satisfied as he watched rays of sunshine pour into her room.

"Come on. Wake up. Damn it! It's eight in the morning."

He nudged and she grumbled.

"Barney, it's too early in the morning. Don't ask me to wake up. That's rude." She murmured, trying to go back to sleep as she pulled the covers up to her chin again. Burrowing her face deeper into her pillow, she stuck her arm out, gesturing for him to leave her alone.

"It's not early! We need to go places, we need to see things, and we need to meet people!" His voice was desperate and needy, almost equivalent to that of a cry for help.

Given up on driving him away, she faced him, lying still, with eyes still closed. "Can't we just stay in today? We've been out for four days straight. I need to take a break. _My wallet needs to take a break._"

"Oh." He responded, his tone like firecrackers that had been put out a bit too suddenly. "Do you really want to stay in?"

"Yes please," was all she could offer as she struggled to keep the conversation going, barely willing to move a muscle of the mouth anymore.

"Okay then. I'll just go get changed." His voice sounded slightly strained, but caring nonetheless.

She faltered.

"I thought we're staying in… I mean, if that's fine by you, of course. I know I can be a selfish bitch sometimes, so I don't want you to think that I'm the one making the decisions, because that'd be unfair to y-"

"Yeah, I know. Chill! I'm just going to go get changed… Back. As in, I changed into a suit twenty minutes ago, because, fun fact, contrary to the popular 'Ted Mosby belief', I don't actually sleep in suits."

She paused and sat up, opening her eyes.

"Oh Barney. I'm so sorry. I didn't know you got c-"

"No, it's fine." He smiled. "I can tell you're tired. I'm tired, too. A bit worn out from all the adventures we've had over the past few days. So I guess we can both stay in today? It's not a problem. We can do something mellow."

"No! No. It's just that I feel bad now, after hearing you sound a little down." She winced. "I _was_ pretty cold just now-"

"No you weren't. Be quiet and return to your deep slumber. I'll wake you up in an hour, what do you think?"

She shrunk back under her covers and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Okay, then. I guess we'll do something less exhausting today."

Barney's eyebrows shot up.

"Like sex?"

She had gotten completely used to his quirky sense of humour and his constant need to tease her again, which was good news, because otherwise she would have treated him like any other man sexually harassing her – which would be to punch him hard on the face.

She sighed.

"_Not_ sex. Anything but sex." She declared. "Maybe Twister."

"Yeah, that's basically the same thing."

He snorted, and she shot him a look.

"Don't worry about me, I'll entertain myself. Go get your beauty sleep!" Barney spoke quickly as he left the room before she had a chance to say anymore. He closed the blinds as he did, as well as shut the door behind him carefully, which had just happened to raise a smile on Robin's dreamy, sleep-deprived face.

* * *

Barney was sat on her couch, using his phone when Robin had entered her living room, looking fresh and made up despite still being in the tank top she had slept in.

He looked up upon hearing the shuffling of her footsteps and pulled a face of genuine surprise.

"Oh, you're up. It's not been that long."

She paused, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Barney – it's one in the afternoon."

And to that, he shrugged. "Well you looked tired. Proof you needed that sleep, I guess."

"Thanks. For, you know, letting me sleep in."

He let out a laugh, shaking his head. "Are you seriously thanking me for that? Come on! You're an independent strong female who does not need to ask for permission and you know it."

"Still. I was supposed to be taking care of you, and not the other way." Robin smiled and settled on the couch with him, her hand resting subconsciously on his thigh.

Not knowing whether that action was intentional or not, Barney decided not to talk about it anyway. During his years of existence, he had learned – the hard way, sometimes – that if you are ever unsure of your feelings towards someone, the best thing to do is to walk away from it in order to avoid trouble or further explanation.

He knew he had broken his own rule by gushing about Luke and their friendship over emails with Robin, but at least that had seventy percent of his embarrassment avoided by doing it online. He had learned to avoid face-to-face confrontation at all costs, and needless to say, he had also learned to be quite good at it.

Trying not to think about it, he returned the smile along with a wave of his hand, as if to dismiss what she had just said.

"Whatever. We all need to be taken care of sometimes."

"Seriously, thanks."

Robin looked at him in the eye for a brief moment, her smile fading and her expression solemn. Sensing tension building, he yanked her hand away from his thigh, which caught her by surprise.

"Stop being sentimental with me now!" He spoke, quickly changing the subject. "What do you think we should do?"

She was still a bit stunned by him pushing away so suddenly, and was afraid she would take things the wrong way, but decided not to talk about it as well. She thought of him as a friend, and she was positive he felt the same about her. What she did not want was to 'talk about it' and discover additional feelings that were not originally there, nor were needed in the first place.

"Brunch?" She shrugged, laying out a suggestion.

"But I thought you said we're not leaving the house."

"We're not."

She grinned, and he grimaced, upon realising what she meant.

"Wait - we're going to be _cooking_?"


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Okay, to avoid the confusion (though I don't think there would be any, but, you know) - I used to be clarysmulders. So there's that! :)**

* * *

"**Get that off me!**" Robin shrieked as Barney threw waffle mix all over her blouse, the two laughing and obviously having immense fun. "God, you are _so_ annoying!" She yelled in between chortles.

"Like you're one to talk," He clucked, gesturing at his sweatpants from Armani, which was covered in strawberry jam and proceeded to sprinkle waffle mix all around, this time on her hair.

"Not on my hair!" She squealed, grabbing hold of a jar of syrup.

"No, no, not the syrup!" He pleaded with her, eyeing the jar with cautiousness. "You can take anything in the kitchen but the syrup…" He paused and scoffed. "Seriously. It's maple syrup. I don't want _Canadian_ all over me."

Shaking her head, she laughed. "You don't want _Canadian all over you_? Guess that's what you'll get then." She giggled as she opened the jar, scooped a handful of syrup and spread it all over his shirt. "Ha. There you go. Good job, you now have Canadian all over you." She congratulated him, still smearing the syrup all over his chest area as he made a face in disgust.

"Scherbatsky, you have gone _too_ far." He faked an angry face, teeth gritted, his voice shaking, as he tasted his words. "We'll have a food fight!"

She smirked. "Yeah, you are. Go ahead."

Barney peered around the kitchen, looking for something that would make her regret streaking maple syrup all over him.

More waffle mix?

_Nah, she's had plenty. It's getting boring._

Jam?

_Probably not._

White sugar…

_No, that's too easy to deal with. It's not even sticky. She'd get that off her shirt in a heartbeat._

He pondered for a long moment, still gazing around, until he noticed a moderately big bowl of custard resting casually on the kitchen worktable.

_That will do._

Reaching across to gain access to it, his eyes met hers and he winked, which made her shudder, knowing he was certainly up to no good.

"**Custard!**" He yelled as he scooped two handfuls and threw them right at her. She shrieked once again, putting her hands out to block the lumpy, yellow substance.

"You got lucky," she laughed, grabbing another handful of the custard. "Watch _this_!"

And with another hearty laugh, she tossed it right at his hair, causing him to whine in distress.

"Look, it matches your hair!" She giggled, high fiving herself.

"Did you just high-five yourself?" Barney grumbled, defeated as custard trickled down his face.

"Yeah, because I'm awesome like that."

"That's _my_ catchphrase!"

She snorted. "Pft, yeah right."

"I _am_ right!" He stomped his feet like a little kid; he was covered in the chaotic combination of strawberry jam, maple syrup, waffle mix and custard. "…And I'm hungry."

Still laughing, she doubled over, one hand placed on the table to stop herself from falling over and one hand stuck out for a handshake. "Hello Hungry, nice to meet you, my name is Robin."

"Ha ha, you are so funny, you deserve an academy award." He scowled, pretending to be cross with her. Slapping her extended hand, he hesitated; he noticed how they have been in the kitchen for about an hour and a half now, with _still _no sign of brunch produced. Plus now, they have trashed the room as well, with special thanks to their food fight.

"Seriously, Robin. This place is a right mess." He muttered, concerned.

Robin noted the seriousness in his voice and stopped laughing.

Barney carried on, taking in the disorder they have created, with a hint of concern in his voice. "And I thought we were grown ass adults."

"Exactly. We are," she agreed, grinning. "Which is why we are allowed to have food fights in the middle of the day in our pyjamas. Grown ass adults make their own rules and grown ass adults_ break_ their own rules."

Upon hearing that, he felt slightly better about his lack of responsibility. In fact, he did not just feel slightly better; he felt a whole lot better.

"You're right. We _are_ allowed to do this." He laughed. "This feels good, in the strangest way. I feel like a kid!"

"We're all kids on the inside," she snickered as she stuck her finger in the bowl of custard and had a lick. "By the way, this stuff is really good." She said, pointing at the custard.

"Really?" He pondered aloud, staring at her.

"Yeah, you gotta try this!" She confirmed by sticking her finger back in the yellow lump and licking her finger clean afterwards while he peered at her closely.

"Seriously! It's really good," Robin assured him one more time as he still looked as taken aback as ever. Realising what he may be concerned about, she rolled her eyes. "_I don't have AIDS_. God, shouldn't _I_ be the one asking if you have any type of sexually transmitted diseases? I mean, I'm not the person who's slept with half of New York City after all."

"Shut up, I'm clean." Barney stated as he dipped his finger into the bowl of custard and licking it clean. "You're right, this stuff's good." He praised her as he gave her a thumbs-up.

"Why, thank you." She smiled as she did a small curtsy and she nudged him. "Told you it was. Say… Are you free this early evening?"

He cocked his head sideways. "You know I am, why?"

She shrugged, chuckling mischievously. "Well, I mean, I can't clean this place on my own."


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Sorry for the lack of updates! I've been writing - just writing, not going on here - for a while now and I've actually finished Chapter 30. I'll start uploading (not all at once, because that's pretty weird and I'll get yelled at) now. :)**

* * *

Robin showed up with a glass of water, leaning against the doorframe as she stood, watching Barney.

"Hey, I watched the news just now and apparently there'll be some kind of storm tonight." She frowned.

"Are you kidding? I mean, it's like, April."

"I know." She sighed. "And no, I'm not kidding. I watched it on the news just now." Without breaking their gaze, she threw her arm around and pointed down the hallway to her bedroom, indicating she had indeed watched it on her portable television.

He gave her a smug smile.

"Yeah, because the news is just _so_ reliable and accurate all the time."

Noting yet ignoring his sarcasm, she went on.

"Whatever. All I meant to ask was if you wanted to sleep in my room tonight."

"And where will _you_ sleep?" He queried.

"Um, in my room?"

He paused and repeated his string of thought.

"But I'm sleeping in your room."

"I know."

"Oh no. We are _not_ sleeping together. We are not sharing a bed." Barney huffed, which startled her.

"_I didn't say we were. _I can pull a mattress out from under my bed and you can sleep there. That was what I meant."

"And why would I? Sleep there, I mean."

"Because there are blinds on my window and there'll be thunder?" She commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Robin," he mused. "I'm not a girl. I'm a grown man. I don't need blinds to shield me from thunder."

And with that, she shrugged, looking a bit hurt. "Fine, I was just suggesting."

Sat at the dining table, he gave her a casual shrug in return, his mind somewhere else, somewhere far along in that little Universe of his own.

_Barney Stinson._

_You cannot be in love with someone else's girlfriend. You may be a womaniser, you may degrade women, you may have no decency at all, but there is one thing you do not do._

_You do not be in love with someone else's girlfriend._

Inner Barney paused.

_But now that you really are, I suppose, you make sure you do not sleep with them. You do not even share a room with them._

_That's just bad. Wrong. Even in your standards. Because if you're in love with someone else and share a room with them… Something is bound to happen. And you will get punched in the face by her super tall, buff and pretty handsome boyfriend. Which is something you do not want to happen to you._

"No… What I meant was, as much as I would _probably_ love to, you know, I honestly don't think that's a good idea. You have a boyfriend! Letting me stay was already the equivalent of stepping on the line. We should have boundaries or something…"

He hesitated.

_Did that just make him sound like the kind of guy who was in love and afraid to admit it?_

_Yes._

_Oh god. Um, think. Think fast._

"Boundaries, like me not sleeping in your room, because personally, I'm worried _you _will fall in love with me and hold me as an unwilling participant, filling the night with your sexual, lusty activities I wish for no part in." He quickly added, tilting his head and giving her a professional knowing look, a look he had mastered at his years at GNB.

"Yeah… Right. Like that's going to happen. And… Boundaries? Since when did Barney Stinson talk about – _or had_ – boundaries?" She questioned teasingly, accepting his hidden apology on unintentionally hurting her.

Barney pursed his lips.

"Seriously though."

He sounded keen, and she didn't persuade him further, having heard the firmess in his voice.

"Alright then. It's your choice anyway. But how are you going to sleep?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

"It's going to be _bright_. Like, I've tried that and it was terrifying. It'll be like Times Square at night."

"No, it won't. Robin, I've lived in New York for more than half of my life. Nothing beats Times Square at night. Definitely not a thunderstorm here."

"Yes, it _will_, actually. You need to save yourself before it's too late." She jutted her chin, swirling the glass of water she had been holding.

"Gee, what are you, my _mum_ or something? I'll be fine. Honestly." He replied in earnest.

"You sure?" She asked, dropping her witty tone. "You can still change your mind."

"Why are you _so obsessed_ with the idea of sleeping with me?" He chuckled nervously. "It's not like you are in love with me… Or are you? Come on. 'Fess up."

"No I'm not! I was just saying. These windows are huge and you're going to have a bad time. I can guarantee you will die from exhaustion because you will not able to sleep. I don't want to have to move your frozen corpse the next morning to the garbage collection dump outside because that's a long way and you're _heavy_."

"Whoa, slow down with those personal attacks." Barney laughed, giving her a reassuring smile. "I was just saying too. I'll be fine."

"You promise?" asked a concerned Robin.

He snorted. "It's not like you to be this petty. I mean, I suppose I can't _guarantee_ I will stay alive, but for one thing, I pretty much know I won't be a heavy corpse, so you can go to bed and sleep soundly now knowing the process of the dragging of my corpse will be much easier."

Ignoring his remarks, she repeated herself.

"You promise?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do." He nodded, rolling his eyes and waving his arms, gesturing for her to leave him along and to go to bed.

And she gave in at long last.

"All right. Just don't come to me in the middle of the night asking for a share in the bed because you're not going to get any. And I'll be too tired to get the mattress sorted. You know how you are."

With that, the two seemed to be contented with their little arrangement and the conclusion that had formed.

"I'll go to bed then." She smiled, walking back into her bedroom. "Good night. Wake me if you need anything."

"Night, pretty." Barney muttered, as he stood up and straightened his shirt.

"What?" she asked, having not heard him properly.

His head shot up. "Nothing. I didn't say anything. Go to bed."

"Okay…" She mumbled and did as she was told, her shadow disappearing down the hallway.

_Two more days_, he thought. _Plenty of time for the mistakes that are about to happen._


	25. Chapter 25

"So! What a day we've had. Last night together, huh. Are we going to make a big deal of it or not? I'd say yes if I were you." Robin grinned as she served their dinner, which was fish fillet for the lady and a nice, juicy portion of steak for the gentleman.

"Hell yes we are." He replied, grinning back at her. "With, maybe like, five candles and some wine."

"Well you're in luck because I've got just that. Actually, I have six candles, so would you like all of them lit and arranged?"

"Five please. I like that number."

"Alright."

"Plus are you really going to be drinking that bottle of wine with me? I mean, it seems like it's pretty good stuff and you'd probably just want to share it with Luke or something." He said, lighting the candles. "Not like you're ever going to have an occasion more special than this, but I'm just suggesting."

"It's cool, I'll just pick up another bottle tomorrow afternoon when you're a thousand miles up in the air." She replied, in a matter of fact way.

"I mean, you have one bottle of wine right now."

"Honestly? I don't mind sharing." She shrugged. "Now pass me that lighter before you burn down the apartment. My landlady is already going to be so mad at me for lighting candles in here. She hates fire." She whispered, peering at him from the corner of her eye as he handed her the lighter.

"Probably because when she's near one the ice in her heart melts and she doesn't like that," he quipped, chuckling.

She returned a hearty laugh and reached for the bottle of wine that had stood in her cupboard for a while now.

"Can you pass me the glassware, Barney?"

"Yep, right here." He gestured at her as he passed her the wine glasses.

"Thanks," she smiled, placing them on the table and filling them with wine. "Well! That's all we've got. Pretty 'fancy' setup." She said, gesturing air-quotation marks with her fingers.

"This is great." He remarked, not wanting her to feel bad for the lack of preparation she had. "Really."

"Really?" She asked.

"Honestly, it's just a meal. It's good." He reassured her, putting his hand on hers.

"Well, I don't know, it's our last meal together after all." She shrugged, tucking her hand back on her lap.

"Gee! You make it sound like one of us is dying." Barney smirked. "It's not our _last _meal together, 'last' as in… The final meal we're ever going to have in eternity."

Shooting him a look that went from a false anger to a smile, Robin shook her head. "Shut up and eat your dinner, Barney. You've got loads to pack tonight."


	26. Chapter 26

Barney got on the shotgun seat and buckled his seatbelt as soon as he had loaded his suitcase in the trunk of Robin's car and she did the same.

Knowing he was about to return to New York City without her, it was a weird moment, the kind of moment one would wish never to sit through.

They sat in silence as she started up the car engine and remained quiet for about the first half of the journey. The strange tension was back, and both felt bittersweet, neither of which had much to say.

"I can't believe it's been a week."

"Me neither," he said. "The gang is going to kill me."

"Why?"

"I haven't bought any souvenirs for any of them and I promised I would. Lily really likes the red telephone booth."

"Oh, that's all right, you have plenty of time before boarding and there are bound to be gift shops around the airport."

"Yeah, hopefully." He replied, his feelings indecisive.

"Don't be so fidgety, there _will_ be." She reassured him and shot him a smile, placing one hand on his knee.

"Don't do that. You're driving."

Retracting her arm, she placed it back on the steering wheel, pursing her lips. "Right. I shouldn't be doing that."

Barney could feel the atmosphere turning stale and uncomfortable and he honestly did not want for that to happen. It felt like they were doing something wrong and it felt like they were secretly in love but were to afraid to admit it.

_But that is probably just what I think, _he thought. _She's just driving and probably thinking about having Chinese takeout tonight with Luke. And I need to stop acting like I know what's going on in her head because I don't think I do. In fact, I don't think anyone does. She's unpredictable. And I love that about her._

"Lame move, but let's turn on the radio," he suggested, reaching out to the panel in between the two of them as he pondered which button it was that controlled the audio system.

Noticing his hesitance, Robin peered at the panel from the corner of her eye. "Press the green one. The one next to the CD player." She instructed, and he obeyed.

'You're listening to BBC Radio One with Nick Grimshaw! Today we will have a nice chat with the ever so lovely and very delightful Emma Watson, who is coming in a little later. Stay tuned…'

The two continued sitting in silence as they listened to the radio, with Barney staring out of the window at the same time, both taking in what Nick was rambling on about without the slightest trace of wanting to interrupt and break the dead air.

'…I _miss_ The Carpenters! They were absolutely brilliant. Here we have Close To You, one of my favourites from them. I don't think I'll ever get over how good this song is. Again, this song is called Close To You by The Carpenters. Enjoy.'

As promised, Close To You started playing, and Robin must have felt something click inside of her.

"I love this song!" She blurted, feeling a pang of excitement. "Turn it up!" She yelped, eyes still focused on the road and hands on the steering wheel.

"Anything for you," He said, and smiled as he did. He reached over to the panel and fidgeted with the buttons once again, finally finding the one to turn up the volume only about fifteen seconds later.

"Thank you," she chirped.

"I don't know why we aren't talking," Barney started, shaking his head lightly. "If we're going to be spending the next half hour stuck with each other, we might as well make the most out of it. Besides, after an hour or more, we'll be yearning for another reunion."

"The airport's just round the corner so it'll probably only take about ten more minutes for us to arrive. Plus, now you're talking over the song," Robin replied, gesturing for him to be quiet.

Noticing he had gone quiet after her remark, she realised she had hurt him unintentionally.

"I'm not serious. Come on, talk to me! You're not getting rid of me just yet." She quipped, shooting him another look from the corner of her eye, encouraging a conversation.

And he complied.

The rest of the car ride – albeit was a short time – picked up pace and the dull atmosphere was lifted off the shoulders of the two once again. They talked their heads off, for as long as possible, as if they had a thousand things on their minds they desperately needed to share with each other. It was the best kind of talking – the kind where one felt as though there never is – and never would be – enough time in the world for their conversations.


	27. Chapter 27

"Well?" Barney asked. "Ready to say goodbye?"

Robin sighed. "You know I never am and will never be," she said, closing in for a hug.

As he burrowed his face in her hair, which smelled of fresh fruit with hints of lavender, he was reminded of the exact moment seven days ago, when they had so excitedly met up after what seemed like forever.

"I'm glad I get to have a hug before I leave," he muttered, pulling her closer, afraid to let go and afraid to break the embrace.

She ran her fingers along his back, a movement that sent shivers down his spine. "Shut up, you know you'd get to have anything if you asked." She said, closing her eyes and concentrating on the moment and the smell of his cologne.

"Okay then…" He drawled, snuffling a laugh. "Sex in the airport bathroom?"

"You're disgusting!" She exclaimed, clutching him tighter. "It's not happening."

"But you just said I could have _anything_ if I asked!" He said, and he kissed her on the forehead before holding her again.

"Shut your face, you gross, gross man." She chuckled, and her eyes were twinkling as she reopened them. Trying to blink back tears, she tilted her head upwards. "Oh my god, we must be looking like one of those annoying couples who just publicly display their affection all over the place right now."

"You mean those who choose to sit on the same side of the table when going out for dinner even though it's totally annoying and anyone can feel the second hand embarrassment all the way from Mars?" He smiled, and she could hear the mischievousness in his voice, which was actually not hard to spot.

"Exactly," she replied, giving him a little nudge. "We need to stop this right now." She said, and she was about to break the embrace when she felt his arms around her, tighter than ever.

"Nope, we are not. I'm sorry about that. Except I'm actually not sorry at all." He commented, drawing her back in for a longer and fuller hug. "You're not escaping."

She tried to resist, but to no avail.

"Come on! You know I hate these types of people. _We _hate these types of people. And now we're becoming like them. How awful." She murmured as she shuddered at the thought.

And a public announcement was made at that moment.

_'Flights to New York City boarding now. Passengers please make your way to gate number 15 by 10:50. Thank you for your attention.'_

"Okay, okay, fine." Barney mumbled upon hearing the announcement as he took in the smell of her hair one last time and squeezed the lady in his arms before finally letting go.

Getting hold of the handle of his suitcase, he shot her a wistful smile.

"I'm going to miss you so damn much," He said.

While the two clearly felt bad, Robin tried to lighten the dampened mood. "You've got the gang!" She stated, as she faked some boxing moves and winked at him.

"Yeah, that is true, but you know the gang's not the same without you."

"Don't worry. I'll be back in a heartbeat."

"I don't think I can trust you on this one."

"Stop being sad and deflated!" She urged, desperate.

"I can't believe we're actually going through an emotional crisis right now," he agreed. "I mean, we're talking Barney Stinson and Robin Scherbatsky here. We're the emotionless robots of the gang. We fend off feelings like Luke Skywalker fends off storm troopers."

"Me neither." She smiled sadly, fighting back the tears once again.

"Aw, look at you. Come here. Don't cry." He stepped forward, placing a hand on her cheek and wiping away a tear that was forming, and she held his hand.

"I'm just… You know. This is stupid. You'd better go or you'd miss your flight. And I wouldn't want someone to third-wheel my Chinese takeout date with Luke tonight." She joked, stroking his hand.

_Ah, so he was right. She had been thinking about having Chinese takeout with Luke. How did I just do that? I'm probably psychic or something, _Barney thought.

"All right, all right. Ditching the friends now, I see where this is going." He grumbled, pretending to be mad at her.

"Stop it!" She blurted as she wiped away the tears that were quickly forming again with the back of her hand. "You're making me cry again."

"Look – I would rush to my gate, but I need to do something right now before I do that other thing, because if I don't do this thing, I will regret it as soon as I hand my boarding pass to that guy and I will keep having a feeling of regret all the way, from the moment I step on the plane to the moment I step off it." Barney looked her in the eye, his expression suddenly serious, and she raised an eyebrow, taken aback by his sudden and solemn approach.

"I didn't get a word of what you were saying."

"Well," he spoke clearly, and he traced his finger along her chin. "I'm glad you don't need to. You just need to get _this_." And with the word _this_, he pulled her in, throwing her face into his and kissing her.

And it was not just a peck on the lips of a quick, friendly kiss. It was the kind you saw in movies. The big, dramatic kiss, the kiss that swept girls off their feet and the kiss that made her heart flutter.

Except this time, she did not feel a thing. She did not kiss back, and instead of returning his affections, she collected them and threw them all in the recycle bin for something else to come and take care of. It was not for long when she pulled back from his lips, startled.

"You shouldn't have done that," she muttered, breathless as she hung her head, staring at the floor, unable to say anything else but those five words she had barely uttered.

"I shouldn't. But I had to." He stared at her eyes, hoping to regain eye contact by attempting to lift her chin with his hand like he did the first time, and she shook him off with a shake of her head.

"I can't do this to Luke. Barney, this is not romantic. I mean, it would probably be if I felt the same and all, but I don't. I don't think of you like that. And this… This is wrong." She explained, flustered. "We're going to have to pretend this never happened."

"So you're not going to tell him about it?" He questioned.

"I am, if I ever find a way to. I need to. Our relationship… It's about honesty. We're not very good at that but I think if we ever want to, we have to start somewhere, and this is a good place to start." She blurted, her words forming in her mind quicker than she could speak. "Can we just… Not talk about this anymore right now?" She breathed.

"I suppose so," he frowned, hurt.

"I'm sorry. But… You _really _should head to the gates now. Goodbye, Barney. Um… I think I'll see you soon?" She finished and smiled, pretending the kiss had never happened and they were just two good friends about to bid farewell.

_And weren't they? They don't have to pretend, _she thought.

Giving her a grin, he, too, acted as if the previous moment had never happened. "Bye, Robin." Picking up his suitcase, he turned around and walked towards the gate, but could not make it a few steps when he turned around. When he did, she nearly jumped out of panic, but gathered herself and waved goodbye.

"Just friends?" She suggested meekly.

"I think we're better off that way." He agreed, waving back.

"I'm glad we took so little time in resolving this," she smiled as she ran over to give him one last hug before he had to catch his flight.

"So am I."

And he headed into the gate, his emotions as conflicted as hers, both trying not to let their feelings show, both trying to think about it.

_This had not been resolved, _he thought. _If only it were that simple. But no, it was not._

He was glad he had kissed her, and though he had been denied, he did not think of it badly. He knew there was bound to be an awkward moment afterwards and he knew their friendship would probably never be the same, but since they were so casual with each other, he thought the only actions he would end up regretting most would be the ones he did not fulfil. And he was right.

It may have seemed like he had just made a complete fool out of himself, but he was happy he managed to have a little taste of what Luke would have that night.


	28. Chapter 28

_Don't think about it, don't think about it and don't think about it…_

Robin's mind was in a buzz and she was in a daze as she hurriedly ran to the parking lot to pick up her car.

_We're staying friends._

She yanked open her handbag, digging for her car keys.

_Where are the damn keys? Stop messing with my head!_

She frowned as she fumbled further on, searching for the keys.

_There._

Unlocking her car, she jumped in and started the engine.

_We are just staying friends. This is the way it has been. And it is the way it always will be._

Making her way to the exit, she sighed.

_You're over-thinking. You just agreed you'd be staying friends. There shouldn't be second thoughts. You are staying friends._

She whistled as she wiped her forehead, cruising down the driveway.

_It's not a big deal._

Glancing towards the shotgun seat, she realised Barney had left a folded piece of paper. Eager to flip it open, she grabbed it and instead put it in the ashtray that came with the car.

_It's just a piece of paper. You're probably being some crazy stalker bitch now. And you're not even his girlfriend._

She pursed her lips as she stepped on the brake, waiting for the line-up to the toll station leading up to the highway.

_I'm not Barney's girlfriend. I'm not Barney's girlfriend. I am not Barney's girlfriend. I am taken. I'm Luke's girlfriend. Now, get used to saying that. 'Hi, I'm Robin, Luke's girlfriend. Not Barney's.'_

She rolled her eyes.

_You don't have to say 'not Barney's', you idiot._

_Stop calling me an idiot. We're the same person. If I'm an idiot, you're an idiot. And we're all idiots._

_Shut up. If it's anyone, it's you. Idiot. Why hasn't Barney texted? He always texts before he gets on the plane._

_You TWO shut up. It's just none of your business._

_Hold up - There's a third voice?_

_Just stop arguing in there now! I'm trying to drive._

_Okay._

_Sorry._

_You know what? Let's not think about it right now. I'm driving and I need to focus before I crash into something. Like a sign. Or a dog. Or a person._

She sighed loudly, defeated and tired from her inner voices arguing, squirmed in her seat and got ready for the long drive home alone.


	29. Chapter 29

"How was your day?" Robin asked Luke as she helped him take off his coat.

"Great. Saved £2 by walking here instead of taking the bus." He smiled, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"That's ten blocks!" She exclaimed, wide-eyed. "And you're not even drenched in sweat."

"Hey, if we're trying to save money to get our future sorted, the man has got to make some sacrifices." He stroked her cheek, clearly happy about how their relationship was developing. "Besides, it's just like working out for me."

"I know, I know. Just don't put too much pressure on yourself. Our future would be nice with a sufficient amount of money, but you _know_ it's not about the money. It's about having each other." She smiled and kissed his hand cheekily.

"So what's for dinner?" Luke asked, sitting on the couch and turning on the television.

Poking her head from the kitchen, she replied. "Oh, I got Chinese."

"_Chinese_, delicious. You know, I've been thinking about getting Chinese tonight today at work. You are definitely the perfect woman." He winked, getting up and helping her with the food as she brought them out.

"Stop flattering me," she smiled as she sorted the utensils. "Let's eat and then we'll talk, okay? You must be famished."

They dived into the food, and Robin was right. He _was_ famished, and the food was nearly all gone in a short fifteen minutes.

"So, how was your day? You drove Barney to the airport, didn't you? That must have been bittersweet." He commented, genuinely feeling bad for her.

"Yeah…" She agreed. "It was. It's just that… We've been _friends_ for such a long time."

She pondered for a while, wondering if she should tell him about the kissing incident, however surprising it was to the both of them.

"Luke…" She started, indecisively. "You know, um. You've always told me the key to a relationship is to be honest. So can I just say something?"

"Sure."

"Please don't flip out." Robin replied as she prayed he wouldn't.

"Come on. You know I won't." He said lovingly. "It takes a lot to be honest and I'm not going to flip out."

"Okay," she mumbled. "Well, um, today I was driving Barney to the airport, and we were at the gate, and we were saying goodbye to each other, then…"

_Now how would she phrase this?_

_Then he just ran in and kissed me?_

_No, that sounds horrible._

_Then he squashed his face into mine and we jammed faces for about a minute in public?_

_No! It sounds like you cheated on purpose._

_You did NOT kiss him back. You make sure you tell Luke that you did not kiss him back._

"Then?" Luke prodded.

"Well, um, here's the thing. I was saying goodbye to him, and we hugged, I mean, as friends do, then he… He kind of… Kissed me." She swallowed. "I didn't kiss him back. I just… He just kissed me. It didn't mean anything and we decided since I'm taken and he's… Going back to New York City, we could pretend it never happened."

She paused, waiting for his reaction.

And he laughed.

"Wait… What? You're not mad at me?" Robin stared at him, confused. "But…"

"No, I'm not mad at you." He chuckled. "Honestly, I'm jealous he kissed you and I didn't today – yet – but other than that, I'm not mad at you."

"Why aren't you mad at me?" She questioned.

"It's just… You seemed so afraid of my reaction right now. And it did take a lot for you to be honest with me. So I just thought, if you two could pretend that it never happened despite probably being super embarrassed with each other now, I could too. So… You know. It's fine. Just please don't it again, because… I might flip out."

He shot her a smile, and she felt a rush of relief.

"I'm really glad you understand and we're not blaming each other or anything." She replied, her voice weak.

"One question," he raised a finger in the air, as if trying to raise a point.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"Did you wash your mouth?"

"Well, that… I… I _did _drink a glass of water from then to now…" She stuttered, feeling apologetic.

"Oh man! I indirectly kissed Barney. That's nasty."

She laughed at his weird response. "Great, you kissed him too, so now I don't have to feel bad." She joked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Honestly," Robin gulped, moving closer to him on the couch and holding his hand. "I'm really, really happy you're not mad at me. I don't think I could've asked for a better guy than you."

"Hey," he muttered. "I know it didn't mean anything. And it'd be _totally _unfair to you if I urged you to be honest then flipped out at you when you tell the truth."

"Also, you're so hot when you're confessing." He shrugged, kissing her hard on the lips, and she fell on her back on the couch, placing her arms around his head and tucking on his hair.

"And you're so hot when you forgive… Want to do it on the couch?" She muttered in between kisses, pulling off his socks with her feet.

"We should probably clear the table first-" He commented, but was shut up by her kisses.

"Later."


	30. Chapter 30

"Shouldn't you be checking on how Barney is doing? He should have landed by now," Luke said, as the smell of fresh made pancakes floated from the kitchen to the couch in the living room, where Robin was seated, waiting for breakfast to be ready and served.

Interrupted by his sudden suggestion, she jumped a little. She had been staring into thin air for a moment now, and truth to be told; she did not know what she was thinking about either. It had just been some sort of daydream, the kind that takes a person far into an entirely different world.

Forgetting to respond, she remained quiet, playing with the hem of her blouse.

"Robin?" He prodded, sticking his head out from the doorway, holding a plate of pancakes in one hand and a small jar of maple syrup in the other.

The same one she had used to attack Barney when they had that dramatic food fight only days ago.

"Um… Yeah?" She replied, still staring blankly, but this time her vision directed towards him. "You were saying?"

Looking at her in doubt, he shook his head gently.

"I was just wondering about Barney. You should probably drop him a message or two…" He paused, checking the time and doing a quick mental calculation of the hours. "He definitely would have landed by now."

"Oh… Right." Knocked back into reality, she agreed. "I'll do that in a moment. Thanks."

"Hey, don't mention it… Are you feeling all right? It's a bit odd of you to be acting like this."

"No… I'm fine. I am," she decided, despite her voice sounding frail and faint. She put a hand to her neck forgetfully, and when she noticed the look of uncertainty on his face, she cleared her throat. "Really."

Seemingly satisfied with her response, Luke flashed a quick smile at her and headed back to his work in the kitchen, adding on the final touches to the pancakes.

Robin, having left alone on her own devices once again, picked up her phone with a frown on her face, indecisive of what to do next.

_What exactly is wrong with me today? If Luke had been so cool with it… Why haven't I? I mean I'm the one in the wrong right now. If I'm the one at fault, and he's the one being forgiving… Shouldn't I be acting more like him now? Knowing that the kiss had not meant a single thing?_

_Barney's probably cool with it as well… It seems as though everyone has gotten over it and moved on, and why am I the one thinking about it still?_

_No, wait._

_Speaking of Barney… Why hasn't he texted first? He could've sent an email or something, but he didn't._

_Or did he?_

_He could have. You haven't even checked your phone yet, you idiot._

_Oh, right. Okay._

Robin checked her emails, refreshing the page over and over again, hoping for an email from him. A reply, a quick message… Anything at all, but nothing showed up except for a promotional email from Bath and Body Works.

_He hasn't messaged._

She was not going to lie about how she was feeling upon noticing he had not left a message. She was slightly disappointed.

Actually, 'slightly' may just be the understatement of the century.

_Why hasn't he messaged?_

_Okay, don't freak out. You're just being weird now._

_He was probably busy reuniting with the gang. Or he was exhausted from the trip back. Or… Or… Yeah! Time zones! How could she forget? He's probably asleep right now. That must be it._

_He must have talked to the gang and gone home, then went straight to bed from exhaustion._

Robin sighed in relief and forced herself to put her mind off the million reasons he could be doing something else than messaging her, before realising that messaging was in fact a job done by two people, and as much as she had wanted him to message her first, sometimes the conversation has to be struck up by the other person.

_Look – It really should not matter if he messages me first or not. Stop making absolutely no effort and expecting everything. Phones work both ways, _she thought.

Picking up her phone again, she composed a new email.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Feeling OK?

Hey – Just wanted to make sure you're feeling OK and that you've landed safely and all that stuff.

Write back soon, all right?

Missing you already

Robin

* * *

Before clicking 'send', she stared at her screen, reading her message over and over again.

_'Missing you already'?_ She thought. _That sounds… A bit odd. Desperate. Needy. Sad. Like she could not live without him. And that is not entirely true._

Clicking 'backspace' rapidly, she replaced 'missing you already' with 'love you'.

_Okay… Hold up. 'Love you'? Seriously? It sounds even worse. No… That will not do._

Deleting the same part of her message for the second time, she removed 'love you' entirely, leaving a blank space behind.

_Robin. That sounds OK. Normal. Friendly? Not really. But it definitely sounds normal. Normal is good._

She proofread the message for the last time, and, satisfied with its content, smiled at her phone before pressing 'send'. Just as she did so, Luke came out of the kitchen with steaming hot pancakes covered in whipped cream, cut up berries and maple syrup separately.

"Yum," was all she managed as he sat down.


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: My gmail got hacked and I only realised that yesterday so I haven't been checking my inbox for news from FFN until today (which is 30 July, by the way. I usually wait a bit before I post my chapters), and when I did, I saw a bunch of super nice reviews from super nice people (which is you lot). I'm starting to ramble so I would just like to say your kindness have made me smile so big my jaw is starting to hurt. Thank YOU!**

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: RE: Feeling OK?

'Feeling OK?'

What kind of question _is_ that? I'm feeling awesome! The New York air, seeing the gang again, the GNB building, Ted's lame Dad-like jokes, my closet full of suits, the chicks at the bar… My life could honestly not be more splendid right now.

Of course, I do miss you and Luke (say hi to him for me please), and London.

But, you know, this is home after all.

And back home, I'm feeling awesome, as always.

I've got some unpacking left to do so I promise I'll write later. Speak soon, okay? And DFTBA! (That is, Don't Forget To Be Awesome.)

Barnstorm

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Slow down, tiger.

Blah, blah, blah, blah and blah.

New York, suits, GNB, be awesome, Ted's lame and chicks.

Congratulations. You are now a Barney Stinson. Side effects include being annoying and over-using the word 'awesome' – but don't worry, he can be a cool guy sometimes; I'll give you that.

Told Luke you said hello, he says 'yo' back. (Dramatic lady-like sigh.) _Men._

_You _DFTBA.

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: So… Friends?

So… Friends?

Okay. Regarding the 'thing' I did at the airport, I hope that wasn't… Too much.

Let's just say it didn't mean anything.

(I'm sorry for bringing it up but I feel like these are the things you have to talk about no matter how embarrassing it may sound.)

Barney

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Friends.

I know. So… Friends. That settles it.

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: But…

…Let me – if I may – just ask you a question.

Have you thought about it, _ever_?

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: This is insane.

I'm sorry, but this is insane.

R

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Just… Have You?

I know it's insane. But I'm asking. Be honest.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: If I _had _to be honest…

Yes.

But that was the past. That was before I met Luke.

I thought about it because of many reasons.

1. I was new to London and you were there for me.

2. I was lonely then and you were there for me.

3. I was afraid then and you were there for me.

4. I had new experiences, I needed someone to talk to and you were there for me.

5. You were just always there for me then.

That is all.

And that was four months ago.

Doesn't mean you're not there for me now, it's just different, I suppose.

Oh my. I can't believe we're having this conversation. We vowed to not speak of this again. Like, really.

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: It's not different.

I was there for you.

I'm still there for you.

I'll continue being there for you.

I'll always be there for you.

And you don't even have to ask.

This has been the way, and this needs to be the way it will maintain. Please.

Barney

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Don't go back there.

We need to stop playing games, because that's what we are doing right now. I need us to be straight up with each other because I'm tired of this whole ordeal of you trying to tell me something other than 'we're very good friends'.

I'm tired, I am. Of you acting like there's some secret underground romance that's about to surface between us because there isn't.

We're good friends, and this is how far it gets.

If I misinterpreted your messages, then I'm sorry and let's go back to square one. But if you really are telling me there's a thing between us, you should save your words because there isn't. I'm not saying there won't be in the future because neither of us will know. But right now, I'm sure where I want to be, and I want to be here in London with Luke.

We keep making the same mistakes and playing the same old games – and it's not getting us anywhere. I just needed to be honest with you on this one because it's important we're honest and we talk this out.

So… This is my take on 'us'. What do you think?

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I'm not trying to go 'back there'.

I've thought about it. I've thought about it for a ton, and honestly, I was content with us playing games and acting like we were secretly an item. It was what made me happy back then and I'm going to admit that I did feel that way, since we're being honest now.

My life was humdrum and I thought I needed something exciting to happen so I made us up. I made the thing between you and I up. But after reading your email… I realised it's not what I'm going for.

Let's start from square one.

But another type of square one. I realised I'm not going for some 'I don't really know what we're doing' action where we play games and have awkward sexual tension, but for the real thing. I hate to get in depth with this so I won't, but I know what I want and I'm telling you that _you_ are what I want. I'm telling you I will wait.

Barney


	32. Chapter 32

"Did you email him?" Luke asked the next day when they sat down for coffee again in the same café the three had been to barely a week ago.

"Yeah," Robin replied, feeling a bit awkward, and decided that would be her answer.

How was she supposed to tell him what they had discussed, after all? She still had not checked her email for any new messages, nor had she actually mustered up enough courage to reply his last email to begin with.

There was just too much between them to touch on and she didn't know where to begin. The email exchanges may have been shades of grey, but she was certain her feelings were for Luke, and Luke only.

Cursing herself for always drifting away from conversations, she hit herself on the forehead.

"Ugh! I forgot to tell you Barney told you hello. I just absent-mindedly told him you said hi back without much thought," she mumbled, feeling sheepish somehow.

"That's fine," he laughed. "That would've been what I would've said anyway."

"I thought so," she replied, smiling and sipping her coffee.

"So, um." Luke began to speak, but stopped short, which was quite unlike him to do so.

"Yeah?"

"Well, there's an office party tonight – oddly, and they've invited me over for a drink or two. I was just wondering if you would want to hang around? Around 6-7pm, that would be the time it begins."

"Oh…" She began, but paused, pondering solemnly before coming to a decision. "Nah, I guess not." She responded. "It's not exactly my thing. Plus Doctor Who is on replay on BBC tonight and I've been meaning to check that out for a while now; my co-workers are all pretty much obsessed with it."

"Aw…" He cooed. "That's fine then. I'll be home late but I'll text you afterwards anyway to let you know, if you happened to still be up, which I would doubt so. But still."

"You sound like a husband already and we haven't even moved in together, hot damn." She gave him another smile, at the same time grasping his hand and giving it a little squeeze.

"Shut up, you cheeky thing," he quipped, giving her a peck on the cheek, which sent butterflies spiralling through her stomach. The good kind, that is.

"Okay, I have to head back to the office," Robin spoke quickly as she noticed the time from a clock which hung behind the cashier. She dabbed her lips clean before filling them again, this time with pink lip-gloss. "Sucks."

"Alright. I'll take care of this," Luke replied, reaching for the bill. "You go do your thing, and remember that I'm proud of you. And that I love you."

Feeling confident and loved, she breathed a sigh, the kind that indicated she was in a daze, flattered by his words. "Love you too. Actually, scratch that. Love you _more_."

"Yeah, like that's possible," he smiled smugly.

"Shut your face. Haven't you heard? Your girlfriend happens to be impossible. See ya," she gave him a quick kiss and a little wave as she stepped out into the cool London air.

Taking out her phone as she walked back to her office building, she typed Barney a quick reply.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Please don't wait for me.

It's not worth your time. _I'm _not worth your time. And I'm happy the way things were then. I hope we stop complicating 'us' and just stick to whatever we used to have.

Go out there, meet some new people, fall in love with a few and have an amazing adventure like an awesome person would.

You are awesome. And I'm sure you already know that. So go be awesome!

Your good friend

Robin


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Took me an age to go through with this one given I've originally wrote another Chapter 33 with a different content, but at the end I thought this one fit the general scheme better so here it is. Hope it's alright!**

**By the way - I've seen some reviews and I love that you are all - collectively - wanting to bash Robin in the head with a hockey stick. That was the effect I was aiming for, I think. Thanks!**

* * *

Robin Scherbatsky had been sitting on the couch alone – but not having felt lonely at all – for the past forty-five minutes or so, without moving a muscle, eyes fixated on the television as she soaked up the long-running British science fiction that seemed to be so popular amongst her co-workers and local friends.

She sighed and stretched lazily, letting out a yawn as she put down her empty mug of what used to contain hot cocoa on the coffee table.

She could see why her friends – and heck, the entire country even – loved the show so much. It was scary at some parts, but growing up being taught to face her fears by her almost controlling father, she only viewed the creeps as part of the excitement.

As she glanced at her clock, she realised it was only 10 in the evening, and she wondered how Luke was doing at the party.

Although, she had to admit, as sociable as she had been told she was, she never felt as though parties were much of an interest to her.

Sure, she might feel eager and excited to be all dolled up and going somewhere, and she might even make a handful of new friends while she was at it, but after a while, she would wish she was at home watching telly or checking out the latest issue of Guns and Ammo with a mug of hot cocoa, snuggled up on the couch, alone or not.

She was just wired that way. She liked people, but she did not need to be with them all the time. She much preferred quiet nights with herself or a few close friends.

She tidied up the couch, put her empty mug in the sink and turned off the television as she made her way to the bathroom for a hot shower to give an early end to the quiet yet somewhat comforting night alone.

As soon as she had stepped into the shower and had her hair lathered up, she heard her phone ring from her bedroom.

_Oh, damn it. Perfect timing. Who could that be anyway, at this time of the night?_

Heaving a sigh, she decided to let it ring until the noise faded out in the distance.

It was not like she could have answered it either; she had a head of bubbly shampoo and the water was at just the right temperature then. She would have had to let that one go anyway.

Deciding to deal with the matter later, she washed off the bubbles in her hair and came to a conclusion that it had just been her carrier ringing her for mobile plan promotions again.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and the first thing she did was check her phone for the call she had missed just moments ago, and realised the call was from an unknown number.

_Huh?_

Heart racing, she called the number back, unsure of where it may lead her.

The first voice that came through was that of a male's.

"Hello, Charing Cross. How may I help you?"

He sounded pleasant. _Calm and composed_, she thought.

_Which means everything is fine and just as they should be._

"Um… Hi. This is… What?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"Charing Cross," the voice replied in a sleek and professional tone.

"Charring _what_?" she wondered aloud.

_Charing Cross? What the hell is that?_

"Miss… You called us. Um, we're Charing Cross hospital. Is there anything wrong? If there isn't, we'll have to hang up on you. Our hotlines are extremely busy and there are people in need of contact right now."

_Hospital? Oh, no. Oh, no, no and no._

"I'm sorry. Actually, um… You know what, I'll just…Where are you located?" She spoke with a little bit more certainty now, though her head felt faint. She hated the feeling of not knowing what was going on.

"Hammersmith, miss." He replied, his voice lingering on the other end of the line, confused.

"All right. Um, thanks." She muttered and hung up.

Throwing on her clothes, she grabbed her bag and ran out of the door, as fast as she could, without even knowing what had gone wrong in the first place, just knowing that whatever had gone wrong, it had to be associated with the last person she'd want to see hurt –

_Luke_.


	34. Chapter 34

"Hi… Um, I'm Robin Scherbatsky. You called me about twenty-five minutes ago?" Robin blurted to the nurse as soon as she got to the front desk at the hospital. Around her in the waiting area, people were staring up from their books and magazines with sympathy as they wondered what had gone on in the poor girl's life, causing her to rush to this kind of place at 10:30 in the evening.

"Hi, miss. Could I have your number please? We may need to check the records." The nurse replied, emotionless still, and Robin wondered how she did that.

"Um…" she, again, spoke quickly and soon the nurse was up and tapping away on her keyboard.

"We did call you, from the emergency unit," the nurse declared after a quick browsing of the data in her computer. "Second floor, first doorway on the right side and down the hall; that's where you'll get more information as we're not quite sure what is the case here." She finished, and Robin dashed off into the lifts.

"Come on, come on, _come on_," she muttered under her breath, jabbing the elevator button repeatedly as if that would magically make the lift arrive faster.

_Emergency unit, oh god,_ she thought.

Seconds passed by, and although it felt like ages, the lift came soon enough and she stepped inside and pressed the button to the second floor, her heart pounding and her head a mess.

She prayed he would be all right and she hoped for nothing more than that.

"That stupid office party," she cursed under her breath as she ran out of the lift, down the hallway and through the first doorway, not knowing what to expect.

What she saw next was a pretty shocking sight with a tinge of gruesome, but she had to be reminded that she was in an emergency unit after all, and if people were fine as they were, they would not need to be there in the first place.

Eyes rapidly scanning the crowd for Luke, she could feel her heart rate going up once again and butterflies in her stomach, just like this afternoon on the very same day as they had their lunch together at their favourite spot. Except this time, the butterflies in her stomach was more like a churning of bad feelings, and that made her sick.

_This should not be happening at all,_ she thought, trying to remain calm and compose herself as she failed to locate her boyfriend. _I should be getting ready for bed right now and he should be having a blast with his colleagues… Not… Not like this, whatever this is._

Desperate, she approached a nurse who was busy running around shouting a ton of commands and giving instructions to even more nurses. She seemed to be in her early thirties and looked friendly enough, despite all the yelling Robin had just witnessed she had done.

She scanned her uniform for a nametag, and sure enough, she found one.

"Hi, excuse me… Sorry," she stammered, suddenly feeling weak and helpless, intimidated without a reason. "Jodie," – the nurse's name – "Do you… I mean, _have _you seen Luke Fielding? I'm sorry; I'm just looking for him. The hospital called and…" She spoke even quicker now, though her voice sounded hollow, as she looked into Jodie's eyes with a glimmer of hope.

"I take it you are Robin?" Jodie replied, and at once, Robin could feel her shoulders sag with immense relief.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly for a tired-looking emotional wreck like herself. _The nurses here probably see lunatics like me seven days a week, _she thought. _They would've been used to this by now._ "I mean – Yes. Where is he now, do you know?"

"I do. They got him in here about twenty minutes ago. He's in surgery right now. We rushed him in for a CT scan immediately when he arrived, when he was still slightly conscious, and we found your name on his recent contacts on his phone so we assumed you're related to him." Jodie spoke eloquently, and Robin wondered how she managed to keep calm at all.

"Yes… Yes. I'm his girlfriend," she blurted, holding onto Jodie's arm subconsciously as support, and she was right about the nurse being friendly, as she did not seem to be taken aback or mind her sudden move. She did not shy away, nor did she frown at her behaviour. She simply allowed her to do it, as if she knew what Robin was going through as of then, as if she understood.

And while Robin was fairly certain Jodie did not have a clue on how she was feeling and was absolutely sure she did _not _understand, it still felt good knowing someone cared.


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Oh, lord. Is this how Steven Moffat feels like when he ruins everybody's day? Because if it is, I feel similar.**

* * *

"Oh, honey," Jodie mumbled, walking to the water machine and Robin trailing behind her, feeling numb and empty as ever.

Pouring her a cup of water, she gestured at the nearby seats and told Robin to take a seat, to which she did, seeing no reason and having no energy left to resist.

"He's going through a very complicated surgery right now, which will take at least a couple of hours." Jodie explained carefully, like a caring mother to a distraught child when she was told her favourite toy had broken, and seeing the look of noticeable concern on her face, she put a hand on hers.

"Don't worry, we've got the best and the brightest here in this hospital and I'm sure he'll pull through." She reassured, but Robin thought the words would make her feel better somehow, but she felt nothing.

"It's just… I told him I didn't want to go to his office party tonight because I was at home checking out some show on the telly recommended by my own co-workers… I feel awful." She drawled, feeling as though she was about to cry. "It's all my fault!" She exclaimed, tears stinging her eyes and blurring her vision at once; and she did not even bother to blot them dry with the back of her hand.

Seeing the state of Robin's emotions, Jodie gave her a sympathetic sigh. "Listen, I'm off my shift as of fifteen minutes ago so if you want someone to stay here with you, I think I can do that." She said genuinely.

Looking up at her, Robin flashed a weak smile, one that showed understanding and thanks. "You're very kind, but I don't think you should… You've got kids, don't you? I mean, you've got a ring on your finger," she pointed out, gazing at the modest silver piece lying on her finger.

"Yeah, I do." Jodie smiled. "I've got two kids. They're still young, very, very young. The older one is nearly five, and the younger's one barely three… Look, I've got a photo." She said as she pulled out a small wallet, and from that, she took out a small and neatly cut photo showing two brunette children having a swing in the park, smiling at the camera.

"Oh, they are precious. You've got a beautiful family." Robin replied, not knowing what else to say, but feeling grateful Jodie was helping her take her mind off the things going on at the moment.

"Yeah, aren't they? Little gems, they are." Jodie smiled, her eyes looking distantly at the photo.

"You'd better go home then, they'd be expecting you."

"They're probably asleep now, though they do like to stay up in hopes of seeing me return from work. But my husband usually makes sure the lights are off and they're sound asleep by 8:30."

"I haven't had a curfew like that in years," Robin remarked, smiling faintly and genuinely for the first time that night.

Giving a light chuckle, Jodie agreed. "Me neither. The kids never want to go to bed. They pry their eyes open with all their might, and they're always saying they could stay up, but they always end up falling asleep on the couch by 11. I wish I had a life like that."

"You do," Robin decided. "I mean, you have them, and that's good enough. I'm honestly not, and have never been, a big fan of the idea of having children, but if I had those two… I wouldn't trade the world for them."

Agreeing again, she nodded. "You're right. I wouldn't trade the world for them," she repeated, putting the photo back in her wallet.

Checking the clock down the hallway, Robin wiped her tears with the sleeve of her coat and finished the tiny paper cup of water.

"Look… I'm really happy I've met you today and I'm really grateful you've decided to talk to me and take my mind off things… But I still feel as though you should go home now. It's 11." She commented softly, pursing her lips.

Glancing at the clock as well, Jodie gave a small nod. "I suppose I should be… Are you going to be staying here? It's awfully quiet here down the hall."

"I'll be all right."

"Hopefully. And you're welcome. Luke should be out very soon and I'm sure he will pull through this. You're a great girlfriend."

Upon hearing the mention of her boyfriend's name, Robin felt an immediate pang of sadness, as if someone had punched her in the gut.

"And you're a great mother. Thanks." She said as she mustered a smile.

"All right then, I should head home now. Stay strong, love." Jodie muttered as she stood up and gathered herself.

Waving a quick good bye and watching her silhouette finally disappear, Robin let out a sigh and felt like crying again as she realised she was all alone in this big hospital, knowing no one at all.

Having something hit her, something like a wave of emotions; and she pulled her phone out from her back pocket, her fingers fiddling with the buttons frantically as she composed a new email.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: (No subject)

Hi Barney… You've not been replying for a moment now and I'm not sure if it's because you've not seen my messages, or you just… You know what, never mind.

I'm writing to you because… Luke's in the hospital right now and he's just been thrown into the OR and into surgery for a reason I'm not sure of yet.

I feel awful. Unsure. Empty. Numb. All the bad feelings are rushing into me.

I'm sorry if I've just ruined your day (which I presume to be going strong and awesome up until this moment) with this depressing email but as soon as this happened, there was no one else I'd want to speak to more than you.

I'm not even sure what we're going to be talking about right now… I just knew I wanted to talk to you so now I'm typing this and pressing send before I feel like this is pointless and delete it.

Robin

* * *

Feeling her throat tighten, Robin tucked her phone back into her bag and stared at the wall opposite her seat, having no clue whatsoever on how devastated she felt right there and then. Arching her back forwards, she threw her face in her hands as she waited for the seconds to pass. She kept her mind busy with constant prayers, good-luck charms made up in her head, and all the good thoughts she could ever think of.


	36. Chapter 36

Robin was awoken with a start as her phone buzzed in her bag. She paused, taking in her surroundings and she felt a rush of dread as she realised she was in a hospital and why she was there.

She fumbled around in her bag and fished out her phone, still feeling like she was stuck in some kind of eternal nightmare with no escape, no way out, and turning on her home screen, she squinted as she was faced with the sudden bright lights of her phone in the dimly lit corridor she had been spending her time in a while now.

The first thing she did was darting her eyes towards the clock on her phone, which indicated it was almost 12:30 in the morning and she realised why it was so quiet in the hallway.

_Everybody should have gone to bed by now… And Luke, _she thought with hope. _He should be out very, very soon._

Checking her notifications, she noticed she had received a reply from Barney, and eager to find out what he had said on the matter, she clicked on that little blue sign.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Oh…

Robin… I'm so, so, so sorry about this. Hang in there. Please be strong, for those who cannot be, and most importantly – don't blame yourself, do you understand? It was definitely not your fault, and it never will be. You didn't know. You weren't even there.

And remember that if you need me, I'm here. I'm always here.

You did not just ruin my day with your email. You never ruin my day with what you have to say.

I know nothing I am saying right now can possibly change the way things are right now but I hope it does make you feel better, however slightly.

Don't feel like you're burdening me, because I love and care for you.

So email me if you feel like you can't do this on your own, okay? Nobody's expecting you to. It's okay not to be okay.

Barney

* * *

Robin closed her eyes, tired from thinking as Barney's voice rung in her head.

_It's okay not to be okay._

He was right. In this critical moment, does it matter anymore?

Why did she have to act like she did not need anyone or that she 'got this' all the time? The truth is, she needed somebody. She had always needed somebody to be there for her, no matter how little she spoke of that issue. She never expressed her fondness for a companion or any of her vulnerabilities and she was happy she came off as that brave, strong and independent one all the time.

But what more is there to hide from him? That man knew exactly everything she felt and thought, and he was her best friend after all. Robin felt like if he was someone she could communicate with in serious conversations or dish in on harmless banter, she should grasp the opportunity and tell him everything right there and then. Everything she was feeling from the moment she rushed to the hospital and everything she was feeling right now.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: I'm really sorry about that.

Come on, it did dampen your mood. I can tell. So I'm really sorry about that. But behold, this is not a pity party. I just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful for your support and I feel like a douche because I can't say I've always been there for you like you have been for me.

And please don't talk like he's dead or something, because he's not. His heart is not going to stop beating tonight. Or the next night. Or the next. Or all the nights from now 'till the end of time, because I want to grow old with him. Please tell me he's going to be okay. I wish there was a way of me knowing how he's doing in there because any second now I feel like I'm about to fall to pieces.

I could not have asked for a better person in my life than you.

Robin

* * *

She sighed.

She was in her twenties and she did not need this to happen to her right now. This had hit her like a pile of bricks and she could not even begin to describe the things she was feeling. She had never felt anything like this before in her life and she was certain this was a feeling she would never forget.

Her heart racing, her mind going fuzzy, tears streaming down her face and everything spinning out of control. She knew these things were beyond her power and she knew that Barney was right – there was no way she was responsible for what had happened to her boyfriend. She was not even there.

But somehow she felt guilty. What if she had gone with him? Could that have prevented him from ending up here? Was he drinking and driving? Or was he simply speeding through the highway, waiting to get home and call her on the phone? What if she had told him she had plans with him and instead of going to the party; he would have to do something else then? Her mind was full of 'what if's and she hated that. She hated every single thought and doubt but they kept coming.

Why was her life falling apart at this critical moment? Why her? Why not somebody else, maybe somebody else who was more prepared?

It had been barely five minutes when her phone buzzed again. Barney's replies were surprisingly quick.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: He will pull through.

Robin… Listen to me. He _will _pull through, do you understand? You are right, his heart is not going to stop beating tonight, or tomorrow night, or anytime soon. You just have to hang in there for a while longer because soon enough he will be out of the OR, and he'll stay in the hospital for two weeks, and then you will go home with him afterwards laughing about it, and in fifty years, the two of you will be making jokes about this entire thing.

You are anything but a douche. You are the sweetest, most clever woman I've known and honestly, you're always under-selling yourself. This is me here, giving you a virtual high-five, telling you you're going to be okay.

Barney

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you.

This means a lot to me.

_You_ mean a lot to me. You and your words. I don't know how you do it, but you're keeping me calm. Thank you for that. Thank you so much for that.

I will be brave.

Robin

* * *

As soon as she hit send, she noticed, from the corner of her eye, the light on the wall beside the entrance of the operation room dimmed. At once, she jumped out of her seat. She knew what that meant. She had seen it in shows and movies. And suddenly, her knees felt weak, and her chest felt tight.

_This is it,_ she thought, and she had never felt so much anxiety pent up in her body. _This is it._


	37. Chapter 37

After what seemed like an age, the doors to the operation room opened, and several surgeons with puffy eyes sauntered out. Not expecting to see Robin standing there, nervous and alone, they walked over to her, expecting her to be related to the man on the operation table.

The second they approached her, she straightened up and cleared her throat, rubbing her cheek as if she was trying to cover up the coarse texture caused by her tears.

"Are you…" one of the older doctors spoke. He had a deeper voice, and he sounded mature, which was fitting to his age, as even behind the mask and the scrubs cap, she could tell he was reaching his mid-fifties.

"Robin. Robin Scherbatsky. Luke's girlfriend…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"Well, Miss Scherbatsky-" the doctor started again, sounding a little more certain now.

"Just call me Robin," she interrupted, her thoughts running wild once again. "Please tell me he's all right, doctor. He has to be… He has to be all right. We were going to have a future together. Please don't tell me he's gone…" she mumbled off again, not caring how crazy she was sure she sounded.

"Calm down… Robin. Your boyfriend is fine. He was critical when he was pushed into the emergency unit but he's fine now." The doctor cleared his throat and Robin was certain at that moment she could have crumbled onto the floor in happiness.

"He was on the highway and he was driving really fast, but he was not on alcohol or anything, just driving really fast, I'm thinking he was on his way home, and there was another driver, who he happened to have crashed into in an abrupt…"

Robin was hardly listening to what he was saying anymore, and by the time he had stopped talking, she resisted the urge as she nearly flopped herself onto the doctor to give him a giant hug.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank _you_. I… I'm just… I don't know what to say… Is there anything here I can do right now? I'm… I don't know how to thank you enough. I honestly don't…" she muttered again, and while she kept her alter ego at bay, the one that would probably be lying on the floor basking in happiness right now, the doctors seemed unfazed by her current behaviour anyway.

"This is what we do, miss. There is no need to thank us." The doctor removed his mask and smiled. A warm, genuine smile that only made her feel even more grateful.

"No, honestly… _Thank you so much_. I don't know how to put into words how thankful I am right now for all of you and it's just… You spent so long in there and I was having crazy thoughts, and… I'm just…" At loss for words now, there was nothing Robin could bring herself to say.

The doctors, having removed their masks, had tired smiles plastered upon their faces.

"Now miss, I would like you to go to the registration counter on the first floor and check your boyfriend in the East wing of the hospital, where he'll be reserved a bed. He's unconscious right now, and we make no promises, but we can say we're very certain he will be awake in at most a weeks' time." The doctor commented and upon hearing the word 'unconscious', Robin was a bit let down.

_They saved his life, you idiot. They saved his life and now what's the matter with you? Can't you wait a week? You'll have a whole lifetime with this man. A week is nothing compared to that._

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she beamed at the doctors one more time before she headed down to the registration office to get Luke's documents sorted.

Now that she had hit her low, she valued happiness more than ever and she was positively glowing as she walked down the hallway to where the lifts were.

_Half an hour ago, she was crying in a dimly lit hallway, her boyfriend was in surgery, and her best friend a thousand miles away from her. Half an hour later, she was beaming, her boyfriend was out of surgery, and he made it out alive. Although her best friend was still a thousand miles away from her, she had learned new things about their friendship._

_She just cannot wait to tell Barney about this._


	38. Chapter 38

After getting checked Luke in and filling Barney in on the good news, Robin was emotionally, physically and mentally drained from all the stress that had built up inside of her just two hours ago. But although she was exhausted, she knew she had to be by Luke's side.

She had stumbled down the hall in a hurry, seen him and gasped. She did not gasp in horror, nor did she gasp in sadness. It just seemed like the reaction to have.

What she did not understand was how Luke had seemed so fine, lying peacefully on the hospital bed with tubes coming in and out of him. His face, for some very miraculous reason, was filled only with shallow cuts and nothing that big or obvious of that sort, and having not listened properly to what the doctors had said about his situation as her mind ran free, she only assumed there were internal injuries.

Robin paused, not knowing what to do.

She _had_ dealt with situations like this. She remembered that one single day when both Ted and Barney had ended up in the hospital. She had been there, and she had been fine. But she had not dealt with situations like these on her own. And despite everything she shared with Luke, she felt as though her presence was somehow disturbing the quietness in the room.

Pulling out a chair from the other side of the room, she sat down on his bedside, fiddling with her fingers.

"Hi honey," she started and cleared her throat as she noticed her voice how her voice had cracked before even speaking the second word. "I'm so glad you're okay."

She clicked her tongue, staring at him, praying it was all a joke. The doctors were not really performing surgical tasks in the operation room hours ago. He was not really hurt and he was not really in a coma right now. It was all a big, funny joke. It was all a joke to get a reaction out of her.

Any time now, God would snap His fingers, Luke would wake up, tearing out his tubes and his bandages would come off, and they would go home, laughing at her reaction together over some Nando's.

_Why did this have to happen to her anyway? Out of seven billion people in the world, why did it have to be them? _

Or this must be some kind of nightmare, Robin thought.

_Seven billion people are roaming this Earth right now. Seven billion. Luke is one out of seven billion. He's a mere cell in an entire human body. And it happened to him._

She probably just fell asleep after watching Doctor Who, and as science fiction was as scary as they came. She must had made this entire thing up in her head and brought it to her sleep. It had to be a nightmare.

_Why?_

Completely kicking the rational side of herself away, at least for a moment, she prayed it would be a nightmare and she prayed it was a sick joke. She did not believe in God, but she prayed. She prayed as hard as she could with crossing fingers, good-luck charms and quick whispers into the air.

But that was not the way the world worked. Miracles did not come as one wished and this situation was no exception. And she realised that.

Sighing, she shook her head, eyes closed, trying to clear her mind. And after what seemed like forever, she opened her eyes again, her gaze this time filled with determination.

_You can sit here and mope and whine and complain and pray that things will get better while you keep holding this negative attitude,_ she thought. _Or you can be thankful he is still alive and get on with your life right now, preparing for your future together until he gets better and you put those plans on paper._

Knowing she could not sit around waiting for him to wake up, she knew she _had _to make sure she was handling her life decisions rationally and she knew she had to do all the things Luke could not do right now.

_He isn't dead. He's here. Living and breathing. You prayed for that, and you got it. Stop bargaining and let things take care of themselves._

As usual, her alter ego backlashed immediately.

_But I can't. He needs me. He needs me to talk to him and he needs me to be here with him to get through this._

_No he doesn't. He needs me to live my life as it was and as it had been. That is what he needs. Now keep quiet._

And with that, she shut up her stupid alter ego; seemingly happy with the conclusion she had formed.

"Take as long as you like. Just promise me we'll be all right," She whispered. Grabbing hold of his hand with both of hers and kissing it good night, she got up and got ready for the long ride home. Alone.


	39. Chapter 39

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I'm so happy for you.

I'm so happy for it. And I mean it. And I'm so proud of you for being a calm and rational human being despite everything that has happened in the past forty-eight hours.

He's just one step away from waking up. Just one. Don't worry.

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Thanks.

Thanks for being there. Honestly. It made me realise I didn't have anyone I could entirely depend on in this country, which is a bit depressing, but… It's also true. I guess the truth is depressing sometimes.

Hopefully he'll _really _be a step away from waking up and just one. Not two. Or twenty-two. Or… Two thousand six hundred and seventy two.

R

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Stop being so paranoid!

He _will_ wake up. He is less than twenty steps away.

I swear on my suits.

B

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Your suits are going to die a sad and tragic death then.

There's nothing, really, to include in the body of this message. The subject kind of says it all.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I know…

…You are currently emotional and probably incapable of proper humour right now so I'll let you off this time.

My suits will live long and prosper.

This, I swear on my sex life.

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: You wouldn't want to.

R.I.P. Barney Stinson's sex life.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Shut it.

I'm tolerating you right now. I'm on the verge of jumping on the first plane here and smashing your face. (In the most endearing obviously. I don't know how smashing people's faces will ever be an endearing act but I'll try.)

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: Very funny.

It would be great if you _really_ came though. Again. Seriously. Heaven knows I could use some company right now, before I spend my entire savings account on alcohol.

Plus now I have to visit Luke now so I'll talk to you very soon.

Thank you for the laughs, Mr. Sassy pants.

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: You've turned into a chunk of cheese.

You are _so_ cheesy. But I love you nonetheless, because I am a generous gentleman with a lot of love to offer to damsels in distress.


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: We're on Chapter 40 and I was like 'whoa, I'd better start doing something' so here I am moving on forward. I don't have a plan, I don't have notes, I don't have any kind of guide on how to continue this. ****_I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. _****All I'm onto right now is really just taking out pen and paper and hoping for the best.**

* * *

**Three months later**

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: …I can't do this.

Barney, it's been three months.

It's been three months of me trying to act normal by going to the hospital visiting him as much as I can, talking to him, singing to him, repeating inside jokes with him and tonight... I'm sitting here and I realised I can't do this anymore.

It's been too long.

I don't know when this happened but I don't feel like this is going anywhere anymore. The magic is not here now. It has long gone and I'm just starting to realise it.

Let me tell you a thing here.

At three weeks, I was still hopeful. I thought if I waited, it would come. Because that's how things work, right? You wait for them and they come eventually. So I thought. And I kept waiting. I thought_; it's only been three weeks. It doesn't mean anything that he's not waking up yet._

Then at six weeks, I was desperate. I tried anything and everything I could in my power to wake him up. I listened to what the doctors said and I wanted him to wake up so badly I even began to spend nights over at the hospital, even if I had work the next day and I had to be up at five to go home for a shower. That was my life, at six weeks from him slipping into a coma.

And now, at three months – All I'm feeling is tired. Just… Tired. I was tired of this life. This is my one life and I know I sound like the biggest asshole saying this, but I'm not really sure this is how I had envisioned my life to be when I left New York.

I'm barely focusing on how my work is going anymore and people are starting to notice this. If I don't start kicking off and put my head in my career, I could get fired.

I don't know what has happened to me. My relationship is wilting like a sunflower plucked and put into a glass jar involuntarily and my career is slowly falling apart, into pieces.

I don't know what I should do anymore. Go for it anyway, even though Luke's in a coma?

You want to know something? I'm living my life in fear. Every day I wake up and I'm just scared, knowing today would not be the day he wakes up because I've basically given up. I'm scared because I know it'll be another day spent alone and I don't know what to do.

But if I run away from it now… If I do it _now_, does it show I'm a coward? An asshole? For God's sake, that man is in a _coma_. I can't run away and leave him.

_Maybe_ the magic is not here anymore, like I said. _Maybe_ I'm not in love with him anymore. But I did love him. And I can't just… Leave him like _this_. What if he wakes up one day and he wants to know where I am? How am I going to live with _that_?

Now that is all I have to say on this subject.

And I don't know why I'm telling you all of this. It's not your responsibility. I mean I guess I just needed someone to talk to and you've just always been here for me. I'm sorry if this is the act of me taking you for granted but I promise I'm not.

I value you as a friend and if your life ever got a bit less awesome, I'm here for you.

Robin


	41. Chapter 41

**AN: Hii! Sorry for posting THREE chapters in such a short period of time - Please don't stab me. The thing is, I've just read my reviews and it seems as though through AN is the easiest way to answer them, so I'm here again. Someone asked if this was a friendship fic, and my response is no. This is NOT a friendship fic. I've actually written about their relationship already - It's a bit further behind but it's coming! I've been waiting a while because I wanted more time for character-building first. Thank you, everyone, for being patient and not stabbing me. Have a nice read.**

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Listen.

For three months you have been the strongest, most independent and amazing woman I've ever met and banged. Okay, not just these three months. But you know I mean _especially _these three months.

I was a bit surprised when the emotional freak side of Robin returned but that triggered the therapist geek side of Barney so I think we'd make a good pair.

And to everything there is a solution, so let _me_ tell you a thing here. (Or _some_ things, considering it's more than just one I will mention.)

One. You are currently in a relationship you don't know if you want to be in anymore. Solution? Get out of it. Get the hell out of it as soon as you can before it rots your soul and drags you six feet under. But only if you're sure you want to do so.

Two. You've considered Solution One and let's just say you really want to do so, but you don't want to feel like an asshole. Solution? Don't feel like an asshole. Whether you feel like you are an asshole or not, it's all a state of mind.

_Wow, Barney. You are a genius, _you say. I know. Thanks. So if you don't think you are an asshole, you are not one.

Three. Three months has not been a long time. Maybe if you waited a bit longer, you will witness him slipping _out _of his coma.

This one's tricky. But remember, Robin. It's _your _life too. You're not going to spend the next thirty years of your life talking to a man in a coma. I mean, if it makes you happy, and if that's how seven-year-old you wanted your life to end up like that, then by all means. And, no offense, but I'm pretty sure seven-year-old you did not want that.

Luke, as much as I love him as a bro, (and you) will just have to accept the fact that he may wake up tomorrow, three weeks or seven years from now and nobody will ever know when exactly.

And that is also the problem. _Nobody will ever know when exactly. _And while it's my responsibility to make sure my best friend stops being sad and be awesome instead, it's not yours to make sure he wakes up with you by his side even if it takes him five years to do that.

Five years is a long time and just imagine all the things you could do in that time.

In the end, I guess I'm not really one to speak for you because I think love pretty much sucks most of the time. I know this is a hard decision and I'm not pushing you either way. I'm just saying this is your life too and you deserve to live it the way you have intended it to be. You're young and… I don't know. You could always try again.

Barney


	42. Chapter 42

**AN: Long and unrelated to the story itself so skip if not interested!**

**It really scares me when I get new reviews because I'm kind of like, _"Oh god, what have I done?" _and I'm worried to the extent that I'm literally afraid to open the email notification because I suppose you never know how people are feeling towards your work. So um, I opened my email today and I saw a big chunky review and immediately I was all, _Oh no_ - because a chunky review can only mean two things: Either they LOVED your stuff, or they think it's 100% crap and they need to have a little rant to calm themselves down.**

**But I read it and found it was constructive criticism, which made me REALLY happy. Partially because I don't actually know how to write, and that helped me out. And now it's midnight and I'm writing like mad because I'm experiencing a full-blown 'my mind is spewing with ideas' moment. So um, I just wanted to say thank you! I love you. In the totally not creepy way.**

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: I think I know what to do now.

I'm sorry for the week-late reply but after reading your reply I was severely enlightened and I think I know what to do now.

I think… I think I'm going. Going away. I think I'm packing my bags and coming back and forgetting all about it like it had just been nothing but a nightmare.

You kicked some sense into me. More sense than I'd like to admit I have ever possessed.

You were right.

He may wake up tomorrow, but he may also wake up seven years from now. I have a lot of doubts and I thought especially long and hard on this. And afterwards I guess… _I guess I thought this is just too big of a risk to take._

I don't know.

Or am I just being selfish?

I'm sorry I've never told you about this until now but I've also… Resigned. It kind of hit them as hard as it hit me, and even after I handed in my resignation letter I had to kick myself to know I was doing it in real life.

There's nothing I want more than going back to the life I used to have in New York with you guys.

I really, _really _hope I'm not being selfish.

Because I think some people would call this 'running from my problems'.

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: Listen.

One thing you have to learn (if you have not already) is to put your feelings first. I'm here reassuring you that you are not being selfish. I'm not being bias. I'm being… Robin, you have to think about your life.

If this man does not ever wake up, you would have spent – no, _wasted_ – your whole life waiting on him when you could have been using the same time doing something you're passionate about.

It is a big risk to take and even though you know I will support you no matter which direction you choose to go, I think you'd know I would've preferred this one.

I just want you to be happy and I don't want you to look back on life with regrets.

Barney

* * *

To: Barney Stinson

From: Robin Scherbatsky

Subject: (No subject)

I don't know what I've done in my past life but it must have been something amazing to have such a supportive person like you in this life.

I can't even put into words how much I want to see you again and then maybe… Slowly forget all of this. And stop having my heart pierced and stabbed with daggers of guilt whenever I think of him. Because that is all that ever happens right now and it's like… It's like I'm just bathed in self-loathing for this.

Robin

* * *

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: For the last time…

…It is NOT your fault. Please remember that. You did not intend for anything like this to happen. You did not pick up the remote control of the Universe and cast Luke into a spell that may cause him to sleep forever and you did not pick up the same remote and caused every bad thing to happen in the world. So stop acting like you did.

I know it's been a hard decision. _But I would have done the same if I were you._

Barney


	43. Chapter 43

**AN: Shortest chapter ****_ever_****! Sorry about that. This was more of a 'transition' chapter and I wasn't sure where to place it as I prefer writing about snippets in time because being able to jump from one month to the next is way more flexible and I find that much easier to work with. (If I'm not wrong I should be uploading this with another chapter at the same time so it's not like I'm being lazy... Even though I kind of am. Or am I? Decide as you see fit!)**

* * *

**Two weeks later**

To: Robin Scherbatsky

From: Barney Stinson

Subject: I'll be waiting for you.

Ready or not… I'll be waiting for you in whatever terminal you are coming from.

Safe flight.

B


	44. Chapter 44

Robin ran out to the concourse with her coat folded on one arm, dragging her suitcase – her only physical baggage with her – as her mind clouded with her own emotional baggage.

_Take a deep breath, _her inner voice commanded, taking control once again, and she did so.

"Oh, Barney." She blurted out subconsciously as she caught a peep of a blonde man in a tailor-made suit that must have cost more than her entire month's worth of salary and she did not hesitate one bit as she ran towards him, her boots colliding harshly with the spotless floorboards.

"Barney!" She exclaimed once more, this time not to herself, but to him, to get his attention. And it did.

The man in the suit spun around, a face of genuine concern and doubt as he scanned the crowd, his eyes stopping short when they landed on her.

"Robin," he said, almost as if he was suddenly relieved, before he cracked a smile. He stood with open arms, and she responded with a hug, clutching him tightly the same way she had half a year ago.

_Here you are again, with Barney at the airport. Just like half a year ago,_ she thought. If their timeline were to be captured in photos, the resemblance between these two captured half a year ago and now would be uncanny.

"This feels just like it had felt the last time I saw you," Barney commented, speaking her mind.

"Except everything has changed."

"Things change, Robin. It's the way the world goes round." He mumbled, and he felt her nod in agreement, out of words. "And you and I both know I would be lying if I said nothing has changed."

Robin prayed Barney would not mention Luke's name, and while he had learned to read her like a book, his next words felt like a failed telepathic connection between them.

"You made the right decision." He continued. "I think… And I'm not speaking for Luke… But I think he would have been proud of you."

And at the mention of his name, she could not help herself but break down in his arms. She did not expect it to happen nor did she want it to, but it came anyway.

Upon realising he had been the cause of her tears, Barney only held her tighter as she sobbed uncontrollably in his arms, her head filled with guilt all over again. "No… No. Don't cry. Please don't cry. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she replied, swallowing her tears. "It's just that…"

"I know what you mean. But I'm sorry…" Trying to lighten the dampened atmosphere, he changed the subject for her sake. "Listen. I think what you need is a good ten hours of sleep. Let's go."

Breaking the embrace, he grabbed hold of her suitcase as she watched, one arm still folded with her coat hanging limply around it and the other furiously catching her tears.

"Okay," she replied reluctantly, and as he put an arm around her, they walked off with her head hung low, in attempt of shedding the guilt and shame she thought she had left behind in London two weeks ago when she had made the decision to start anew.


	45. Chapter 45

**AN: The ride begins... Now! Hello Swarkles! (I mean, at least they've reunited...)**

* * *

**One week later**

The first few days had been especially hard, not just for Robin, but for the two of them. Barney had tried his best to be delicate on his choice of words and even though she knew he was trying his best, there were times when she just could not help but feel the same wave of self-accusation.

It was a new way for two old friends to get along as they ditched the battles of sass and wit, replacing the gaps in their relationship instead with nice words. It felt weird and unlike them for her, but as they both thought it would be for the better for now, they went along with it.

"I think the best way to begin would obviously be a cup of tea, given your… Conditions," Barney began as he sat her down one day, determined to avoid the words 'London', 'Luke' and anything else that would bring back the unwanted memories.

He had finally mustered up the courage to talk to Robin about her situation and he felt like there was no better time to do it than then.

Handing her a cup of tea like he had suggested, he cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, um, what are your plans?" He asked, hoping the subject was not, still, too sensitive.

_She had just gone through something like a breakaway, after all. And if these things were not hard enough already, she had done it from a foreign city with a boyfriend in a coma who is pretty much like a ticking time bomb._ He thought. _She's definitely more scared than she lets on._

"I guess it's to get back on my feet and start all over with my career," she replied, shrugging, an action so casual that it caught him by surprise.

"Why'd you say so?" He questioned, wanting to know.

"Firstly… I guess I'm still career-driven. I was crazy enough to think that I was somehow changed in such a short period of time. Now that I've come back, I realised that I still _am _a workaholic, so I'll stick to that. There's not much I can do anyway."

And to that, Barney snorted subconsciously, which gained a glance of confusion from Robin.

"Robin Scherbatsky, you have many good qualities aside from being a workaholic, dealing with boring paperwork and being a really big office freak," he explained, trying to gather himself as he displayed failed attempts of trying to hide his muffled laughter.

Offended, she gazed at him intently, cross with his sudden break out in chuckles that seemed to have been aimed at her. "What are you laughing at?"

"Well, to start off," he said, in between broad smiles he somehow could not seem to hide. "I'd say a quality of yours I admire very much, out of a hundred I can easily name, is the way you-"

"No. Stop. Okay." She blurted. "I think I get what you're getting at." She cut him short, not wanting him to continue, afraid she'd bask in compliments that she knew were neither true nor impressive, compliments tailored to raise a smile on her face.

"Good. I didn't have any because I knew you'd stop me. I just wanted you to realise your potential."

"Thanks," she replied, heartfelt nonetheless. "Hey, _you_ have a lot of great qualities too. Just to name a few, from the top of my head, you're…" She paused, her pupils dilated as she shifted her gaze to the ceiling without moving her head. She was thinking of the nice things she could say about him.

"You were saying?" He replied smugly, completely unembarrassed by the shower of praise he was expecting.

"Actually, I was thinking you'd cut me off, so… I don't have to say anything. Because I've got nothing." She confessed, throwing her hands in the space in front of her, gesturing in a matter of fact way.

"I'm still waiting," he prodded, giving her a nudge in the rib.

Heaving a sigh, she continued eagerly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did so. "I suppose… I suppose you look good at all times… Plus you smell nice." She looked at him doubtfully.

Pleased with the compliments, he tugged at his tie and cleared his throat, waiting for more still, a move she happily ignored.

"Come on! That can't be all you've got. _I've_ got a few off the top of my head," he replied frantically, counting his fingers. "Let's see… I'm quite the character, I've got awesome styling, I am, without a doubt, _way_ hotter than you and I smell nice." He finished.

"Yeah… I've already said that."

"Doesn't hurt to re-establish the fact. And given I smell _extra_ nice after all, it wouldn't be a scandal if anybody said it twice."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Look at you. You're so in love with yourself." She looked at him in disbelief, at the same time smiling from the entertainment this was offering.

"Yeah, but at least I have reasons to be, unlike you." He quipped, seemingly satisfied with his comeback.

"Hey." She snapped, faking anger. "You just said I have many great qualities."

"You do." He agreed, giving her a half smile. "Just… Your qualities are not really of good quality."

"Fine… Whatever." She replied, slightly defeated, but not about to give up just yet. "I feel sorry for your future girlfriend. If I were her, I'd run fast."

Laughing, Barney pretended to throw up and she gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "I don't do girlfriends. I just… Go to bars and _be awesome_."

And with that, it seems as though the two's friendship had magically been patched up, restored and embellished, leaving them at the place the two just needed to be for now.


	46. Chapter 46

"Right! I need to get back on my feet, like you said." Robin chirped, brewing coffee for the two.

"About time, too." Barney joked. "Can't have random chicks coming in here at night demanding why there is an unemployed Canadian sleeping on my couch." Giving a half grin, he jutted her chin at her. "Though I have to say when they come in they are usually too drunk to even notice anything."

"Barney! You can't just look at someone and _know_ they're Canadian. You're just being ridiculous." She remarked, rolling her eyes. "Plus I can always shoo your ladies away in the morning by pretending to be your angry wife or something. It's a win-win situation."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess you can stay." He replied, pretending to be uninterested in what she had to say.

Finishing the buttoning of the cuffs on his sleeves, he outstretched a hand as she handed him his cup of coffee while she took her own to the coffee table.

"But seriously. I need to get a job." She mumbled in between sips of coffee as she settled on the couch. "I can't just live off of your money like this."

"I don't mind," he replied, a bit too quickly, but to his relief, she had not noticed.

"But I feel bad." She concluded, and knowing there was no way to convince her otherwise, he kept quiet and let her continue with what she had to say.

"I want to get back into journalism or something… I'll be doing the job-hunting later on but I was just wondering if you knew anybody… If you don't mind, I mean." She added, not wanting to sound greedy and way too eager.

"I obviously don't mind. Hey! You're Robin Scherbatsky. Robin Scherbatsky is entitled to any favours from this awesome guy I call myself." He said, gesturing to himself as he joined her on the couch. She smiled.

"On a more serious note, though. I'm more than happy to help…" He continued, and while he was speaking, she felt his mind wander off into a universe of his own. It took him a few seconds, but he snapped back to reality soon enough. "Actually, I can offer you a job at GNB."

"Really?" She wondered out loud immediately, almost as if it were a reflex.

"No joke."

"Wow… But, um, what will I be doing there? What will the job be like?"

Chuckling on the inside, Barney promised himself a shot later on when he would hit the bar. _She had just said 'but um' after all, and it would be a shame not to drink to that._

"You'll be sitting around the office doing nothing and getting paid. It's exactly what I do." He grinned. "You're going to love it. There's no pressure."

Seemingly taken aback by his description of the job he was offering her, Robin had a doubtful look on her face.

"Barney… I _really_ do appreciate your offer but I'm not sure that's what I want to do. I've always wanted to do what I used to do because I enjoyed it so much... And I don't think I'd like working at GNB if it's going to be like that." She paused. "Don't get me wrong. GNB is awesome. It's just… It's not for me. I don't have that experience."

Looking slightly hurt by her rejection, Barney tried not to let it show, and it did not.

"No, it's fine," he replied swiftly. "I understand."

Unable to see through his head and to scan his inner thoughts, she rested her hand on his knee, giving it a trusting pat.

"...Thanks."

"It's nothing."

"No, really. Thanks." She replied, looking at him directly in the eye, her hand still on his knee.

"It's nothing! Honestly. It's nothing." He repeated, for the third time, as he tried to avoid direct eye contact with her, but she did not just stop there.

"Shush. I know what you're trying to do, okay? I really appreciate it. I appreciate _you_."

"_I don't know what you're talking about._" He faked, feeling humbled and flattered.

"Come on, Mr. Academy Award-worthy actor." She teased. He liked when she spoke in that tone of voice. "Stop hiding it. I know you're trying your best to help. And I'm telling you I'm really thankful to have you in my life."

She shot him a genuine, grateful look, and he returned a small smile, pursing his lips. And for a second there, he stopped trying to avoid eye contact. The two looked at each other as if they were inspecting one another's features.

The gaze breaking as suddenly as it had come to form, Robin lifted her hand from his knee. "Okay! I'd better get going if I want to be productive. I'll put these in the sink," She gestured to coffee table as she got up and picked up the empty coffee mugs. "You'd better get going. It's almost eight thirty." She commented again, after having caught a glance at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah, I'd better go... I just remembered I have a meeting at nine." Barney replied, his expression slightly alarmed at his sudden realisation.

Picking up his coat, he grabbed his dress shoes and put them on hastily before he gave a half-hearted walk back to the open kitchen where she stood fumbling with the coffee machine, as if he had forgotten something of great importance.

"Hey... Um, great talk. Good luck on your job-hunting thing, okay? Knowing you, you'd ace it… Somehow. Like said, you're Robin Scherbatsky. She finds a way to ace things." He replied, speaking quickly and putting his hand on her cheek as he gave her a peck on her forehead before he headed out to the apartment hallway.

"You have a nice day," she commented casually as he planted the kiss, and she turned to watch him go, smiling as she whipped out yesterday's newspaper and started her search for her 'something special'.

_Wait. I kissed her_, Barney thought as he jogged down the few steps that led to the busy city streets. _I kissed her._ To hail a cab, he stretched his arm out, his mind still a buzz. _It was on the forehead and all that friendly stuff, but still - What the hell was that for?_

And he had no idea.


	47. Chapter 47

"Hey, okay!" Robin exclaimed the second Barney returned from work. She had jumped up from the couch, enthusiastic, and practically ran all the way to him as soon as she heard the door click shut. "I've found a few jobs. Plus, um, a few places I can stay. And I'm excited because I want to know what you think of them."

Upon noticing how excited she seemed, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

It had been a while since her first day staying with him, but still, people did not change overnight. As much as he had thought about dropping his infamous title, he was still the womaniser, the guy who could score every night if he had wanted to and the guy the ladies loved at the bar. So the whole 'coming home to somebody' thing still seemed pretty weird to him, despite the 'somebody' being Robin.

"That's great," he commented, unsure of what to say next, but eventually caught up. "So… What exactly have you got in mind now?"

Allowing him to take his time settling in, she kept quiet for a few moments, wondering if she had seemed too eager, and waited for him to do the usual – taking off his shoes, hanging his coat…_ You know, the usual_.

_Whatever_, she thought. _It's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime thing. To start over. I shouldn't feel bad for seeming eager._

Giving her a smile, Barney proceeded to have a sit down on the couch while he loosened his tie, a routine Robin had pretty much memorised after spending multiple days with him. She joined him, clutching a bunch of papers and bits of newspaper cuttings, grinning from ear to ear like a five year old would on her birthday.

"I've got… Well, I've got a few. First, I could go back to Metro News One, given they're short of an anchor right now-" she was about to continue when he cut her off.

"Metro News One? You can't go back! That place was ridiculous. Remember Sandy Rivers?" He remarked, a tone of concern, and shuddered upon recalling memories of Robin's old co-worker, Sandy.

"I know… But still, they _are_ short of someone after all. It could be my back-up plan. I've actually emailed them and they told me they'd love to have me back… To which I replied I'd love to, but I'd still consider and all that… Then," she paused, catching her breath, her smile growing with every passing second.

"There's WWN." She announced with pride, expecting some kind of insane reaction coming from him, knowing WWN was a big hit globally, but to her dismay, the only reaction she got out of him were a blank look of confusion.

"WWN?"

"Word Wide News…" She said, slowly, drawing out the words as if they were part of some sacred scroll from the ancient times. "It's pretty… Great. Big. Famous, sort of. A lot better than Metro News One… I can't believe you don't know what WWN is!"

"Hey, I'm not a journalism geek." He replied, defending himself. "It sounds good. I'd say WWN then. Definitely. If I were to pick between that and that hell hole Metro News One."

"Right…" She mumbled, taking his comment into consideration.

"I'm serious. It's different, it's new, and it's pretty much screaming '_Robin please come here!_' right now."

Turning to face her, he donned a serious look on his face, which took her by surprise.

"You know…" He spoke slowly, raising a finger in the air as if he was ready to prove a point. And he was. "I only have _one_ rule…"

Knowing what was coming already, she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, _one_ rule."

"Shh." He shushed her, squishing a finger on her lips despite her various protests. "I only have one rule," he repeated. "And that's 'New is always better.' So always go for new experiences."

"Yeah, but…" Robin tried to talk back, but was stopped again by him pressing his finger on her lips even more firmly.

"No 'but's. New is, without a doubt, always better." He confirmed, sounding pleased with himself.

Bored of his 'rules', she retaliated by biting him. Not too hard, more like a little nibble. But hard enough to make him feel the pain anyway.

"Ow!" He yelped, immediately letting go of her and clutching his finger. "What did you do that for?"

"No. More. Rules." She declared, happy she got the reaction she had desired out of him.

"I only had _one _rule!"

"You sure do."

"I _do_!"

"Yeah, I was just saying that."

"You were being sarcastic."

"Was I, though?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up," was all he managed as he quietly accepted defeat. Giving her a nudge on the shoulder, he turned to face her again, snatching the papers from her grasp. "Do you want help with this or do you not?"

And she dropped her snug smile.

"I'd like some help."

"Alright then. Let's do this, shall we?"

"We shall," she replied with confidence.

And they sorted through the papers patiently and intently just as the Sun set, discussing, comparing and joking as they did, plainly just enjoying one another's company.


	48. Chapter 48

**AN: Hii! This may be my last upload in a while because school's starting/just started (depending on when I upload this - because as you all know I like to write a lot at a time then upload them slowly) on the 21st. Which means I'll be busy with my school stuff. So please don't count on me to be uploading super frequently and thank you for being patient with me. :)**

* * *

"Wow. You look amazing," were the first words that escaped from Barney's lips when he laid eyes on Robin as he struggled not to take a second look. She was standing behind the kitchen counter in a white blouse and a black pencil skirt, the look of professionals.

"I think some people prefer to say good morning, but I'm not going to complain you greeted me this way," she smiled and gave a shrug. "Classic work attire."

"Good to know you're finally getting your crap together, Scherbatsky." He commented, laughing lightly. "And I'm also glad you still have that sarcasm in you. I was afraid it had somehow washed off with all the laundry you _didn't_ do for the past twelve days."

"Yeah… Yeah… Whatever. And I'll take that 'sarcasm' thing as a compliment, as I always do."

"So, what time is your interview?"

"Interviews. That would be in plural form. And, um…" She paused and racked her brains. "I have an interview with WWN at nine, then I have another one with Metro News One at one. Channel Eight told me to go in so I am, at three. Plus I've got some property viewing as well but that can wait until later. I've got three flats and I'll take a look at them at four, I think." She recited, speaking eloquently.

"Whoa. Slow your roll. Tight schedule," he replied, and she nodded in agreement, biting her lip in nervousness.

She tried not to look it, but truth to be told, she was more afraid than she had ever let on. She had been away from the tedium of life in New York City for a while now and she was not sure she could return to that. That, referring to the life she once had.

She knew he probably did not mind, but she felt as though she _really_ could not rely on Barney like that anymore. At one week it was still sympathetic, but now, at twelve days, it seemed a little pathetic.

_But hey, you miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take, right?_ She thought that no matter how scared she was feeling, she had to walk in there, look presentable and do the interview with as much confidence as she could muster. She was determined to stick with getting back on her feet and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

Sipping on her coffee absent-mindedly, she nodded at his comment without giving much thought.

Identifying her strange behaviour, he waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her daydream. "You alright?"

"Yeah, never been better." She replied almost instinctively, and cleared her throat, standing upright once again.

"It's just… You seemed a little off."

"Yeah. I suppose I'm just a little nervous."

"It's good to have a little nerve," he responded, reassuring her as he waited for his coffee to brew. "Healthy." He spoke again, looking at his coffee; a second later to which he realised what he had just said could lead to a misunderstanding. "I meant having a little nerve, not the coffee."

She gave a little chuckle, looked as if she was about to say something, but paused. Biting her lip, she frowned. "Is it?"

He nodded.

"Well…" Checking her watch, Robin drained her cup of coffee in one mouthful. "Hey, sorry. Got to go. I don't want to be late." She murmured, dabbing at her lips with a tissue hurriedly and retouched her makeup in one swift action. _Just in case._

"Now?" Barney raised an eyebrow, checking the time on his phone. "It's still early."

"I'm taking the subway and I wanted to make sure I don't walk in last minute, drenched in sweat. You know how the subway is like." She replied, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. "Doesn't hurt to be early."

Grinning, she slipped on a pair of black, modest looking heels.

"Looking hot. I would do you." He commented again as he gave her a wink and a thumbs up, unable to resist the temptation of making fun of her.

"Stop trying to get me turned on, I _have_ to go." She joked, pulling open the door and just before slipping out, she stuck her head back into the apartment. "Any words of encouragement for me?"

"I know you're going to ace it. What Scherbatsky wants, Scherbatsky gets. Go get it." He replied, shaking his head and giving a chuckle.

"Thanks. You're the best!" She yelped before she waved a quick goodbye and closed the door behind her.

Standing behind the kitchen counter still, Barney glanced at the door and shrugged, and as he was waiting for his coffee to finish brewing, he realised he had not stopped smiling since he had heard the door click shut.


	49. Chapter 49

**AN: I'm back!**

* * *

"I GOT THE JOB AT WWN!" Robin yelled into the phone as soon as she had exited the WWN office building. She was exhilarated from her tight schedule but so proud of herself. Clutching her phone tightly, she wandered on the streets, collecting her hand into a fist and half-nibbling on her knuckles with a heart full of excitement she could barely contain.

And Barney must have felt the same enthusiasm on the other end of the phone as his response had come with a noticeable degree of thrill.

"Whoa! Calm down, crazy. But I'm_ so_ proud of you."

She could not see his face, but she knew he must have been grinning, and she did, too.

"Thanks! I'm just relieved now." She mumbled into her phone while fighting against her urge to burst into a fit of giggles. She felt like a child.

"Well, you should be!" He responded with glowing elation, which only caused her to smile even bigger.

"So!" She paused, gathering herself. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know. At GNB…" There was silence as she waited for him to speak again. "You know what? We should have a celebration."

"No way!"

"Come on, you got the job! You should be very proud of yourself. WWN is miles better than Metro News One. You've come a long way since that crappy little ditch."

"Fine. But I've got some places to look at later so I won't be free until… Um, maybe six-thirty? What do you think?" She pondered.

"I think that's great."

"Okay. But it's not _that_ much of a big deal. We can just stay home."

"As you wish."

"You're the best-" Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, she felt her phone vibrate with the notice of an incoming call. "Hey, I can't talk. I have an incoming call and it might be important... So I'll see you later?"

"Alright. Remember that I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you!"

And with that, she ended their call to respond to the unknown caller.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Miss Scherbatsky?"

"Speaking." She responded, wondering who that would be on the other end of the line. _Did anybody even address her as Miss Scherbatsky anymore?_

She was doubtful until she heard the next sentence.

"Great - this is the Charing Cross hospital calling."


	50. Chapter 50

"Wait… What?" Robin replied in a hurry. "Are you _sure _you've got the right number?"

"You are Miss Robin Scherbatsky, aren't you?" The voice replied.

Stuttering, she was confused as ever. "Yes… I am."

"Then I'm pretty sure we've not got the wrong number." Not allowing for a peep from her, the staff at the end of the line continued speaking. "The patient you checked in… Luke Fielding. He's awoken from his coma. The hospital needed to contact you immediately and we've only got you on our emergency contact list."

"WHAT?" She hollered, unable to focus on anything other than the fact that Luke had suddenly become relevant in her life again. "How did you…" Her voice trailed off, shocked.

"Please don't shout into the phone. We could not contact you via your local number and we've found this one on my patient's cell. You need you to be here as soon as possible because you are the only person we have in contact right now and you need to sign some legal documents."

"I'm… I can't."

"What do you mean by that?" The voice responded once again, yet this time sounding irritated and impatient.

"I'm not in England. I'm… I'm in New York. I can't go." She rambled frantically, feeling sick in the stomach.

It was not like she never wanted to see Luke again. She simply felt bad for making the decision she had made previously and she was not sure she could deal with the tremendous feeling of guilt. She had felt like a coward then and still, now, she was feeling the same upon the mention of his name. She thought the feeling of shame would fade, but it had obviously not.

"Well, I'm afraid there is not an option here. You will have to schedule a flight given you are the only person of contact we have here. You've also signed him in, so only you are authorised to sign him out."

Her mind felt woozy and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Not wanting to cause trouble or further complications, she muttered a simple 'I understand' before proceeding to think about the options she really had now.

"Good. Meanwhile we will keep him company, but I hope you contact us immediately and in person."

"Of course."

"Thank you for understanding. We will see you very soon, I hope."

"Yep."

And with that, the nurse hung up.

_Why now?_

The more she thought about that phone call, the more Robin felt her head spin.


	51. Chapter 51

"Welcome home!" Barney nearly yelled as a tired Robin came through the door. Filled with excitement, he felt like a deflated balloon as soon as he noticed the dreadful look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"The hospital called."

Acting like the mood was not already spoiled, he tried to lighten up by pretending he did not know what she was talking about anyway.

"What are you talking about?"

Her face tired and her voice strained, she shot him a look. "Barney, you know what I'm talking about."

It was true. He did.

"What did they say?" He responded. His voice was down to a whisper now, and they both know that only happened when they were in serious and sticky situation.

So Robin sat down on the couch, followed by an eager Barney, and she explained everything to him. The call from the hospital she had received right after theirs, how she felt and what she planned on doing, and he sat there, listening tentatively, not making a peep the whole time.

And when she was done, they both let out a sigh, sharing the same feeling of shame and guilt. They both know what they had done. Barney feeling bothered because he felt as though he was responsible, and Robin worried for she had run away when times got difficult just like any coward would.

"So… Are you going to go?" He wondered out loud.

"Yeah. I guess there's no option anyway. I have to go. It's the only thing I can do for him, after… That."

"Do you absolutely _have_ to, though?"

"_I do_," she replied, frustrated. "It's not a choice. Look, I know it sounds ridiculous, going back to London just like this. I know it sounds ridiculous I'm flying back and forth like I have an entire pool of money for me to roll in, because I don't. I am _unemployed_, for God's sake, and running out of money. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't absolutely have to."

Knowing she was bothered, he stopped questioning her immediately.

"Okay then. But I'll go with you."

"No. I can't do that. I can't make you come with me."

"You're not making me. I want to go. I want to be there for you."

"No."

"I know you won't be able to be strong when you go, so let me. Let me be strong for you."

"I said no. And that's final. I'm serious, Barney. I need you to stop thinking I'm some weakling, some damsel in distress, or some unfortunate female protagonist in your typical story setting. Because I am not."

Robin paused, searching Barney's face for a clue on how he was feeling. She knew she had sounded way too harsh, but all she had wanted was for him to let her cope on her own for once. She felt like she had owed him too much, too, and she felt bad about it. She cared for him, probably more than he knew, and she thought if acting a little cold was enough to make him back off and stop being this nice to her, it was what she was going to do.

She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Come on. Barney. You _know_ I am not."

"I guess… It's fine then. I'll let you do this alone, if this is what you want." He mumbled, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

_It worked,_ she thought. _Barney's backing off._

And although she felt as though she had succeeded, she honestly did not predict his reaction, which turned out to be a glum look. "I'm really sorry."

"No, it's fine. Sometimes I can get a bit too protective and it probably does seem annoying to you when I am. What I mean is, you're right. You are strong and independent. And I need to let go because you can do this on your own." He finished and pursed his lips, mustering a smile to show that he did not care _that _much anyway.

"Thank you for… Being so cool with this." And that was all she had managed to utter, with a doubtful look on her face.

"As I said, it's fine. It's not a big deal!" He waved a hand in the air as if to say, '_I really don't care as much as you think I do about this'_. "Seriously." And at that point, he was practically beaming with confidence. In fact, if confidence were given off in light beams, she was pretty sure she would have been blinded.

Not sure if he was just trying to act tough to match his manly exterior, she looked directly at him again, praying she could see how he was feeling this time round. Her eyes locked on his, her expression serious.

_What was he feeling? Sadness? Disappointment? Anger?_

Her eyes darted around, searching for clues, but she guessed that he was just exceptionally good at hiding whatever he was feeling; because if he had been feeling everything she had thought he would, she could not see the emotions on his face anyway.

"You're staring at me all funny."

She looked away immediately, caught off-guard.

"No I'm not."

"You were."

"Shush. Let's go get dinner or something. I hope the celebration is still on because I'm feeling peckish."

"I can't believe you just said the word _peckish_."

"Believe it, loverboy."


	52. Chapter 52

**AN: First of all, I'm really, really, ****_really_**** sorry about the lack of updates. I was having trouble with the plot and school was much busier than I thought would be****, so I had little to no time when it came to gathering my thoughts and putting them on the paper. But's here now. I hope you like it - Once again, I'm really sorry!**

* * *

Barney sat in his office, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the clock blankly, as if waiting for some kind of epiphany.

_Her flight is in three hours._

_Three hours is along time._

Truth to be told, although he would never admit it, he was already missing Robin a lot more than usual. Probably from knowing she would be gone for at least a few days, he felt as though someone had ripped a bandage from his flesh, a bandage that had been covering a wound that has not healed.

At the given moment, he seemed calm and composed. If anyone were to walk into his office right now, they would see him for whom he is – Barney Stinson, womaniser, thinking about strip clubs – and not who he felt like he was at that moment – Barney Stinson, vulnerable puppy and hopeless romantic, thinking about feelings.

"Barney Stinson, vulnerable puppy and hopeless romantic, thinking about feelings," he mumbled under his breath. "That title just made me vomit a little in my mouth."

_But what if they make up? What if they decide, 'No, that was a mistake, I was a horrible person, but we belong together and I haven't been not thinking about you'? What if she doesn't come back and decide to start a new life there? Or worse, what if they come back together and decide to start a new life here?_

Barney knew he was just grinding his own gears by over thinking, but he could not help letting his mind wander about someone he loved so much, so dearly. It was not like he recognised his feelings immediately – people did not do that. People did not just wake up in the morning, flick a switch and decide they are in love with their best friend. But he knew something was there and he knew he would definitely be jealous if he saw her in that man's arms again.

Grinning mischievously, he scribbled a little something on a post-it that seemed to read 'be back later' as he unlocked his cabinet and fished out his passport after some fumbling around. He jumped to his feet, gave his tie a good pat and grabbed his briefcase, the whole time still clutching his passport.

Yes, he had promised her. He had promised Robin he was not going to go with her if that was what she had wanted, and he felt like he needed to keep that promise.

_Or not._

The best kinds of promises are those you do not intend to keep, after all. So he could sit here, wait for her to come back and talk things through, or he could go for it. He could get out of the GNB building, get on the plane and get her before someone else does.

* * *

Robin found herself rushing to the gates; she had her passport tucked under one arm and the other dragging her tiny suitcase behind. She was running late, and feeling panicky, she ran up to a counter where a flight attendant stood impatiently.

"Hi… Um, am I too late?" She mumbled, gesturing awkwardly at the door towards the cabin.

"No, but if you keep this up, you're going to be one day," the flight attendant replied with a rude snicker, scanning Robin from head to toe.

"Oh… Sorry. Thanks. Actually…" Taken aback by her attitude, Robin reached for her boarding pass and took it out from under her arm.

Motioning to the entrance, the flight attendant led her into the body of the cabin, redirecting her to her seat before heaving a heavy sigh.

Robin was too tired to argue with the attendant's behaviour or to give her a lecture on how terribly offended she felt, so instead, she kept things short and simple, muttering a thank you before turning back to her seat where the arm rest was occupied by an elbow covered in posh fabric.

She paused for the usual cheerful 'you're welcome' with a complimentary smile, but received no more than a scowl in return from the attendant she now was sure was in a bad mood.

_Well, thanks for nothing, _she thought as she pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow as she watched her storm off, the whole time radiating bad vibes in the crowded atmosphere.

Noticing her company was a man in a suit with his face turned toward the window, she smiled to herself as a warm memory of Barney floated to the top of her head and she tucked her tiny suitcase in the overhead compartment before settling into her seat, eager to learn more about her travel companion, who was still, to her, a complete stranger.

_I could live with this for the next handful of hours, _Robin thought as she squirmed in her seat. It was slightly cramped, but it was not like it was uncomfortable, and though she felt tempted to talk to a flight attendant about the situation, she kept her mouth shut instead. She had never been that sort of girl anyway – the sort to give other people a bad time just because everything was not absolutely perfect for her.

_Right. Robin Scherbatsky, you can do this._ She thought to herself as she skimmed through the usual infomercials aired during takeoff. She felt the plane rock back and forth unsteadily as the engine started, jerking her head upright and praying she would not be sick, she grabbed a vomit bag from the pouch in front of her seat, just in case.

_Actually, you know what? Maybe just try to survive this flight first._

She was so busy fidgeting with the in-flight services she had forgotten about the stranger sitting next to her, and upon realising, she tapped him on the shoulder, ready to give him a friendly greeting, thinking they could maybe talk for the next few hours.

The stranger turned around, and what came next was the expression of a mixture of shock and surprise as they both learned there was nothing anonymous about each other at all. In fact, if the word 'stranger' were to be used upon them, it would be the most ridiculous thing.

Both doing a double take, Robin was clear the whole arrangement had been nothing but a crazy coincidence.

_I suppose the plane isn't actually that big, _she thought.

They glanced at each other for a few seconds before suddenly snapping back to reality, and when they both did, she gave the man a hard nudge in the rib, causing him to let out a loud gasp of pain, before spitting a mouthful of accusation towards him.

"Barney,_ what_ _the hell _are you doing here? I thought I told-" Robin tried to string a sentence but found herself unable to, so she just stared at him, absolutely dumbfounded with a hint of doubt.

Not knowing how to response, he shrugged awkwardly.

_"Surprise, I guess?"_


	53. Chapter 53

**AN: I've thought about this a ton and decided it's time I stopped droning on and on about everything else, started focusing on Swarkles and - spoiler, but not really - getting them together.** **So, um, I'm trying my best to wrap this up as quickly as I possible can, and not with haste.**

* * *

"Are you sure?" Barney questioned their direction as they took off the second the plane had landed.

"I am pretty sure." Robin responded abruptly, clearly still irked about his broken promise on not following her all the way to London.

Moments later, they rushed through the gates of the airport; tired and jetlagged from the short yet stressful distance of the flight they had so impatiently sat through the entire time, with Barney coming up with lame pickup lines he could try out and Robin giving him dead eyes on every single one.

"It says the exit is on the other way though." He spoke again, ignoring her tone of voice as he fumbled through a map he had picked up on his way around barely a minute ago.

"No, trust me, it isn't." Robin replied fiercely, trying to look and act braver than she actually felt. Turning around to see how he was doing as they paced quickly through the hallways, she let out a sigh. "Your map is upside down."

And upon hearing her words, he realised that he had indeed been holding the map upside down for the few minutes.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Then…" He paused, scanning the map once again. "Then we're going in the right direction. You're right. Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise."

And they rushed through the airport, speaking no more, their feelings panicky and unprepared.

* * *

The two tried to grab a taxi, but with the ridiculous amount of people with the same intention, they realised they could only patiently wait in line behind what seemed like at least twenty people at the taxi stand.

"Look, I don't get why you're so mad at me." Barney had finally mustered up the courage to put his frustration into words as he blurted out those very words.

"I'm not." Robin replied, her palm placed horizontal on her forehead, shielding her eyes from the Sun as she stared out into the distance in anticipation for a taxi.

"You're looking at me like I've just killed your entire family and fed their remains to a pack of wolves." He continued. "And that's when you even feel like looking at me, because most of the time, we're not making eye contact. I just want to know why you seem so annoyed."

"I'm not!" She repeated and let out a sigh, still faced outwards.

The line shuffled quickly as the taxis arrived one by one, and soon enough, they were at the front.

"Look, I know you're mad at me because I promised you and I broke that promise. But I just wanted to look out for you. You _know _that."

"For the last time, _I am not mad at you!_" Robin repeated and finally turned around to look him in the eye. "I was annoyed at the fact that you lied to me, but that was about three hours ago. Right now I'm just… I'm just wondering why it's taking so long to grab a damn cab."

"Alright, alright. I get what you're saying. Slow your roll."

"Good."

* * *

A taxi finally came after five minutes of awkward silence between Barney and Robin as they lined up with their lips pursed the entire time and spoke no more after the one conversation they have had, and upon settling down onto the leather seats of the taxi, the two seemed to have loosened up.

Robin took out the written address of the hotel they were going to stay in from the compartment in her coat and showed the driver, who nodded and stepped on acceleration in a swift moment. The car turned around the corner and away from the airport and the two looked out of their windows, none of them knowing what to say next after the unpleasant interaction they have had just now.

They stayed like that for a while, until Robin finally turned to Barney and outstretched her arm, placing a hand on his lap, which caused him to turn to face her almost immediately.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, not being used to apologising upfront but doing it anyway.

"For what?" He questioned. He was not trying to make her feel even worse by making her state her faults, but rather, he was genuinely concerned on why she was even apologising to him in the first place.

"For just now. I was snappy and I knew it, because you pissed me off. But… That's not the point. I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for speaking to you like that. You were just trying to help and I was tired and nervous about tomorrow."

Knowing she was putting her ego aside for him, he could not help but give her a lingering smile. He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze; his own way of telling her she had been forgiven and all was well.


	54. Chapter 54

Still in his suit, Barney flopped onto the double bed in the hotel room, feeling the comfort of the soft mattress and heaving a sigh of relief as Robin lingered around the armchair placed just beside him, holding up and studying an in-room dining menu from boredom. Narrowing her eyes to see what he was doing, a smile crept across her face as she noticed how childish he really was.

In short, their snappy fight had been resolved by her sudden bold gesture in the taxi, and she was glad she had made that move. As hotheaded as they both knew they were, they challenged each other often enough by giving each other a hard time. Still, neither one of them could deny that it did indeed feel much better when they were getting along.

Barney noticed she was looking at him, so he returned the gaze, and she quickly turned away, burying her head back into the menu.

"You're reading the menu," he commented, stating the obvious.

"I'm…" She replied, trying to find the right word as she massaged her neck with her free hand, at the same time returning the menu to where she had found it, which happened to be on the bedside table. "…Bored."

"Well," He cleared his throat, fidgeting dandily, almost in a seductive manner. "You're bored, I'm bored, we're in a hotel room in London, there's a comfortable double bed and a 'do not disturb' door hanger available for use…"

Robin rolled her eyes, playing along, as she knew his suggestion had merely been a joke. "Barney, we are not _doing it_ here." She interrupted, and he pretended to be taken aback by her rejection.

Gathering himself, Barney shook his head like a child would when refused candy. "No, seriously! You've _got_ to try the bed. It's so soft and… And…" He buried his face in between the sheets, a look of satisfaction half hidden beneath the cushiony fabric. And inhaling the freshness of the room, he patted the bed with a single hand, motioning for her to come over and have a try to see for herself.

She gave in and strolled idly to where he was laying and sat down next to him. Immediately, she could feel the piece of furniture sink in and engulf her, not because she weighed a lot, but because of how springy it was.

"This is some good stuff," she blurted out as she did the same thing he did, flopping half her body onto the fabric and burying her face in the sheets, allowing her legs to dangle from the end of the bed, just like him.

"I told you so. Glad I didn't book my own hotel room somewhere else. Wouldn't have ended up as comfortable as I am right now. Robin, you have a knack for picking hotels with awesome beds, I'll give you that." He responded.

"I was going to have this entire bed to myself, but now you're here unexpectedly, I'm not. Thanks a lot to you," she mumbled sarcastically, still taking in the lazy atmosphere as she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

To avoid back pain when she wakes up later on, she resisted the urge to fall asleep right away in that strange position she was in. She kicked off her boots with her feet and crawled to the front of the bed, barely keeping her eyes open now.

_It must have been the flight_, she thought. She did not manage to catch a wink of her much-needed sleep the entire time she had been on air because of her frustration towards Barney and his lame conversation topics, and she regretted it now, as she felt sleepiness kicking in and practically slapping her hard on the face, demanding her to take a nap right there and then.

"I think I'm just going to shut my eyes for a little while…" Robin muttered and trailed off as soon as her head hit the pillow, which caused Barney to raise an eyebrow.

He knew she was both physically and mentally tired from the lack of sleep and stress, but she did not know she had been _this_ exhausted. She had practically crawled in bed and under the covers, and then tucked herself in like a toddler would.

By then, Barney was beyond amused upon witnessing her awfully vulnerable side and just as he was about to get it on camera – yes, he had brought a camera, thinking it was going to be an overseas trip anyway and therefore he had every reason to bring one – and have a good laugh at her when she wakes up, he stopped himself.

He had noticed her eyelashes flutter in deep sleep, and feeling entranced, he felt compelled to move in closer to get a clearer look of her facial features, which were resting so peacefully as her mind wandered off in dreamland.

Kicking off his own shoes, he crawled to the front of the bed with a mix of exhaustion and happiness and tucked himself in beside her. He was unaware he was still in his suit, and he adjusted his pillow just in time for him to catch himself fall into a deep slumber.

They lied there, though hidden beneath the covers; the sheets folded and creased, their bodies tangled and connected. Their steady heartbeat pulsed as they allowed their breathing to be deepened, while a small beam of sunlight seeped through a crack in the curtains, shining onto the spot where they dozed, warming up the room.

And for the brief moment, it was as though all they needed was each other, fresh sheets and a comfortable double bed.


	55. Chapter 55

**AN: Sorry for being gone for so long! I've had some lazy days where my brain just refuses to breed new ideas. Have a nice read. :)**

* * *

Robin let out a yawn and sat up slowly, her hair a mess and her eyes wide open. She noticed Barney had lied down next to her, and she peeked out of the crack in the curtains as she realised she had slept through the afternoon and it was now sunset.

She felt her stomach grumble and even though it was still quite early, she thought she would take a walk with him before dinner to get a breath of fresh air. Nudging him, she smiled as he murmured something barely audible, pushing her arm away, not wanting to get up.

_He's such a child_, she thought, and gave up trying to wake him up. Hopping off the bed, she moved swiftly across the room to her suitcase, where she grabbed a change of clothes after realising how crumpled her current ones were. Getting into a change of clothes, freshening up and trying to somehow someway wake him up afterwards was on her to-do list and she was wasting no time.

Robin stepped into the bathroom, locked the door behind her and looked into the mirror, studying her half-asleep face with intent as she unbuttoned her blouse. Even though she still felt sore from her awkward sleeping position and did not want to move more than she already had to, she felt like she needed a shower. Stripping, she left her pile of clothes on the floor and stepped into the shower without a second thought. She turned on the water and lathered her hair, feeling a rush of relief as the glass case that was her shower slowly fogged up.

* * *

The trickle of water coming from the bathroom had awoken Barney, and he sat up groggily, wiping his eyes. He had turned to his side expecting a sound asleep Robin, and as soon as he had noticed she was not there, he kicked himself awake, frantic. He hoped she had not gone out without him. It was sunset, and even though he knew next to nothing about the city, he was hoping he would be able to take her out on a nice – if not a little fancy – dinner anyway.

Barney was just in the midst of confusion as the door to the bathroom unlocked with a click, and out emerged Robin with her hair bundled in a towel. She was dressed in a navy blue tank top and beige shorts and as she walked over, he thought she smelled of lavender.

She kneeled down to rearrange her worn clothes and to tidy up her suitcase, hardly noticing Barney was up and studying her movements until he cleared his throat, which made her jump ever so slightly.

"Not fair," he whined. "I'm hungry and I want food. But by the look of things, it seems as though you're going to take off any minute and leave me alone in this boring old hotel room, hungry and confused."

"You make it sound as though I've been abusing you," she laughed, rubbing the top of her head with her bath towel as she tried to dry her hair. "Do you have a comb I can borrow?"

"A _comb_?" Barney gnarled in disgust. "Why the hell would me, Barney Stinson, business co-operate, really awesomely sexy man and overwhelmingly irresistible human being, be carrying a _comb_ overseas? Get your head out of your ass, Robin."

Giving him a fake smile and dead eyes, Robin outstretched her arm. "Hand it over."

He grunted and got up to his suitcase, scrambling through what seemed like piles of moisturisers and hair gels, until finally, he unzipped a small pouch which revealed a sophistically carved wooden comb.

Leaning over to peer into his plethora of beauty products, she could not resist a sneer. "Gee, Barney. All I have to ask is, _really_? The amount of beauty products you have! You're really getting in touch with your feminine side these days, aren't you?" She gave a hearty laugh, teasing him as she reached for his comb.

Barney rolled his eyes.

"You just like to make me feel bad about myself because you're jealous I am able to take care of myself."

"Me? Jealous of _you_?" She gave him a glance, and they broke into laughter.

"You know it," he replied, gathering a pink sweatshirt and formal black pants as he headed for the bathroom.

"Go shower," she urged as she pretended to shoo him out of the way. "We're going out to get some dinner. I know a few places you might like."

"Whatever you say, boss." He replied with a salute and he stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind him and breaking into a grin.

_Day one and it's going great._ _I'm not regretting stepping on that plane from New York at all._


	56. Chapter 56

**AN: Reread my last chapter and realised I had a ton of typos/general mistakes in that one, resulting in a painfully slow editing process. I ****_really_**** need to start proofreading. So atrocious. Sorry about that. Not going to happen in this one, I promise. New chapter. Yay!**

* * *

Barney inspected Robin's outfit from head to toe, all the time carrying a frown on his face.

"What? What's wrong?" She spluttered, starting to feel self-conscious as she looked down to take a look at what she was wearing, which really was just a tank top and a pair of shorts.

"Tell me you're not going out to dinner with me in these."

"I actually am." She shrugged and raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, what is the problem exactly?"

"I was going to take you someplace… Fancy. And here you are dressed like you're ready to attend The Amazing Race. I mean, no offense to that show, I quite like it – as in, there are some hot chicks on the show. _Seriously _hot chicks…" He wondered out loud, drumming his chin with the tip of his fingers. "But that's not the point. The point is you can't go to some fancy restaurant dressed like this."

"_You_ were going to take me out? I was thinking… More of the other way round." She crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall. "Come on. You know nothing about this city. Just let me do the taking out this time. You've had your moments of glory in New York, but it's London here and I'm taking over."

"Fine. Whatever."

A satisfied grin lit up her face and she rubbed her hands together, ready to make plans. "Good. I'm telling you, we're going to get some chips and then we can hit the pub."

"Really, Scherbatsky? _Hit the pub?_" Barney snorted, a reaction he had been employing for a while now. "Don't you mean hit the _bar_? Nobody says pub, unless you're like, somehow oddly stuck in the 1950s or something."

"You know what I mean. Now get changed! Nobody hits the –" Robin paused, for effect. "-_Pub_ in a suit."

"Fine. Whatever," he repeated, and she could tell he was only feigning his reluctance to get a reaction out of her. She waved him off to the bathroom, shoving a polo shirt and white Bermudas into his arms with such force that he struggled to receive them. Staring at the clothes as if they were foreign objects, Barney gave a high-pitched squeak and cringed visibly.

"_No._ No, I'm not wearing these. I am _not _wearing these. These are _disgusting_. Why the hell do you have them anyway?" He shook his head vigorously and shoved the clothes back into her arms with an equal amount of force.

"_Dude._ I got these from your suitcase." She frowned, holding up the polo shirt.

"You lying little minx. I don't wear non-suits," he replied and gasped, holding onto the bathroom doorframe with one hand and putting the other on his chest for dramatic effect. "These clothes are not fit for human. Burn them, my slave! Burn them right now!"

Robin did not know how else to respond to his act and she rolled her eyes like she always did when she was torn between heaving a heavy sigh and bursting into laughter. Truth was, the acts he pulled were cute and quirky and they _did _make her smile, but they were also equally frustrating at times, if that made sense at all. The only thing she knew was that when it came to Barney, all she had in her mind were conflicting emotions.

Instead of putting up a fight, she gave up, pursing her lips. "Fine. You can wear these. They're not too shabby, I guess."

"_Not too shabby?_ They're Armani." He replied, wide-eyed at her casual dismissal on his fashion choices.

"Okay, okay. Just… Stay out of trouble tonight, alright? Also, another thing is, _please_ don't bring any chicks back here tonight. Let's not forget that we're sharing a room… For god's sake, we're sharing a _bed_. I don't need a third person in there, naked and vomiting all over my pillow. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Now let's get going, I'm _starving_."

"Me too. Can't wait to hit the… What's that called again? Oh, the _bar._" Barney teased as they headed out into the hallway, room key in one hand and the other slipped subconsciously around Robin's shoulders.

"Will you please just keep your mouth shut for a moment?" She replied playfully as she nudged him in the ribs softly.


	57. Chapter 57

To Barney's surprise, the pub was a surprisingly popular place to hang out in the evening, and despite arriving early and having spent nearly an hour there, the place was still buzzing with excitement. And it was loud. That was what he knew. It was loud. There were people greeting each other from across the table, couples clinging onto each other mumbling sweet nothings and teenagers who barely look like they were old enough to legally drink all gathered in the small space, all of them seemingly enjoying themselves and having a good time.

He has had a few drinks and was starting to feel a little woozy, and he sat on the bar stool beside Robin, quietly observing as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

He watched a few guys attempt to chat her up and he smiled to himself. She appeared to be flattered by whatever they were saying to her for the first few moments, but showed no interest towards them after a while as the conversation got slow and boring. He watched as the guys eventually walked away, each of them with a beer in one hand, in search for the ladies.

Prodding her with an elbow, the smell of her perfume lingered in the air as she leaned in closer, trying to catch whatever he was about to say to her.

"We should probably get going," he spoke loudly, making sure he got his message across and he rubbed his eyes, half stumbling, half trying to get off his seat.

Robin was in a daze as she has had one too many drinks, and she made a movement to check the watch on her wrist for the time, despite the fact that she was not even wearing one in the first place. "But it's still early!" She hollered back, motioning to her bare wrist.

"Yeah, but we've got stuff to do tomorrow." He replied and allowed her to slip her arm into his as the two staggered off, hardly anyone noticing their departure as they left the crowded pub.

They were in high spirits as they clumsily walked along the streets in an attempt to return to the hotel by feet given it was only a few streets away, swaying side by side, holding onto each other tightly for balance.

They attempted to make small talk as they strolled unsteadily, and even tried to belt out a few show tunes, but as drunken as they were, they found it hard to even concentrate on walking, and were grateful when they noticed they had reached the entrance of their hotel after their brisk walk.

"We_ really_ shouldn't be getting drunk. We have things to do tomorrow." Barney slurred drunkenly as he tried to unlock their door to their room, something he had to do thrice as he struggled to insert the room key into the slot correctly in his washed-out state.

He dragged the weight of the two of them into the room and carefully placed Robin on the bed while he stumbled to the bathroom, turning on the tap. Splashing cold water onto his face carelessly, he shuddered, reaching for a towel to dry himself. It was as though he had been slapped in the face, and immediately, he felt refreshed. He decided it was best for them to at least try to sober up before they end up extremely hungover the next morning, or worse, vomit all over the place tonight.

For a frequent drinker, it was not hard for him to master the skill of refreshing himself whenever he felt like he has had a bit too much to drink and things were getting out of control.

He returned to the main room to find her exactly the way he had left her; lying sideways with one leg crossed over the other, an arm lopsided. _If she had been paler_, he thought, _she would probably have been mistaken for a corpse_.

Wasting no time, he hurried over, nudging her gently as she murmured mumbles of protest.

"Look, what we should do right now is sober up." He repeated.

"Sober up? Why would you want to do that? I'm feeling nothing but bliss right now." She smiled, stroking his cheek.

_She clearly had no idea how drunk she is right now,_ he thought.

"Because we have things to do tomorrow, I told you. We're going to the hospital and then we'll decide what to do from then on."

And at that given moment, he witnessed her face scrunch up, her cheeks red with the flush of alcohol. Waving her hand to dismiss his presence, she buried her face back into the sheets. "I don't like the sound of that. I don't think I want to be sober. Ever."

"You sound pretty sober to me," he replied.

"Go away, I'm sleepy." She purred, rubbing her eyes like a toddler.

"No…" He began firmly, and then heaved a sigh. He was not going to give in that easily. "Come here. Let's get you washed up."

"_Go away_," She managed, and brushed his hand off her arm as he tried to help her up, to which he responded by simply rolling his eyes.

"God, Robin. Be more like you. Be more like sober Robin."

And the seemingly endless struggle for him to drag her to the bathroom began. He had no intention of giving in, and neither did her. It was an uphill battle and it took more than a heave or two to get her to budge, but soon his efforts paid off. They found themselves standing near the sink, a drunken Robin barely knowing where she was and an unbelievably patient Barney coaxing her into washing her face.


	58. Chapter 58

**AN: Worked especially hard on this chapter. I think you'll like it. But maybe not as much as the next one. ;)**

* * *

It was like a blur in time, when neither could remember what had happened in the time period between ten minutes ago and right now.

But there they were, laying on the bed, side-by-side, arms flung beside their heads in a surrendering position and they stared at each other, wondering what the hell they were doing. And they were sober.

It was as if they had mutually decided they were old enough to know how stupidly they were behaving, but at the same time still young enough to not care about the consequences at all.

They fumbled in the dark, hungry for each other.

_Is this love? Or is this lust? _Robin wondered but kept the thought to herself; she was afraid the answer would not be desired if the question were to be asked.

It was an internal struggle, and she, too, were afraid this would end up being a one-time thing, an event they would both happen to regret when the Sun rises the next day. She had too much to lose. She had Barney, and what the relationship they had now – whatever it happened to be – was too much to lose.

_We're sober, _she reminded herself once again. _We're both sober. So this must mean something. Right? Sober people don't do this. Besides, we're friends. Friends don't do this._

Barney paid no attention to what she was thinking – how could he know? He was purely intent on nibbling on her neck and the feeling of her stroking the back of his head, playing with his hair affectionately.

_No. It doesn't have to mean something. You're thinking it means something because you __**want**__ it to mean something; _she scolded herself silently, cursing herself for over-analysing the situation. _Lots of people hook up sober. Barney does it with a million chicks. It's not a big deal… __**I'm**__ not a big deal._

He had moved downwards and was planting gentle kisses on her stomach now, and as much as she had wanted to focus on what they were doing, her mind just would not let her.

_Still… If I never ask, I'll never know._

_But you can't say these things out loud. I mean, how do you do it? You can't just ask someone if they're in love with you when there's a strong chance they're not._

_Damn it. Okay… You know what? It'd be best to just ask. What's the worst that could happen?_

Summoning her last ounce of courage, Robin pursed her lips and cleared her throat. Barney had his hands around her waist, caressing the side of her body, and it appeared to her that her attempt to get his attention was futile.

So she cleared her throat again. He paused this time and looked directly into her eye. She gulped, and cleared her throat for the third time, feeling her mouth turn dry, suddenly not knowing what to say in this interrupted moment.

_Stop clearing your throat and start speaking. You're behaving like an idiot._

But as much as she willed herself to blurt out the simple words, she simply could not get them out. She furrowed her brows, and then cleared her throat for the fourth time, knowing full well this was only getting more awkward with each passing second.

_Say something… Anything. Speak._

"Barney?" She finally spoke, hesitant of how the words will come from her mouth next.

"Yeah?" He paused and replied lightly, looking up, his intent gaze heavy upon her.

Her voice came out as a quiver.

"Does this mean anything?"

The question clearly took him by surprise, and he responded with a raise of his eyebrows, unprepared for an answer.

"Does this mean anything?" She repeated, her voice sturdy this time, at the same time displaying impatience. "This, as in… What we're doing, right now?"

"We're… Friends." He replied, and she felt her heart sink.

"Friends don't do this kind of stuff together." She commented quietly.

Ignoring her remark, he continued planting kisses on her, this time moving back to toying with her neck, the same time with her emotions. And there was only one difference as he did so – He was completely unaware he was doing the latter.

It was not only a few moments later that she stopped him again, this time placing a hand over her neck.

"_No_," Robin began, realising he had managed to avoid the question. "Stop. Stop it. You didn't answer my question."

He respected her refusal to carry on and stopped reluctantly, sitting up with his back against the head of the bed. She did the same, and the way he looked at her – she could have sworn it was a plea as he muttered the next words. "Please don't do this right now."

"Please don't do what?" She asked again, determined to force a satisfying response out of him.

"I don't want to talk about us right now."

She took in his answer and crossed her arms, unsatisfied. She turned to him, looked him in the eye and took a deep breath; she prayed her words would come out smoothly when she opened her mouth next.

"Why not?"

"You're asking me a lot of questions and I don't know why you're doing this. Stop that. I'm not – _we're_ not – the type of people to discuss feelings. You know that. So stop trying to force emotions out of my mouth."

Her gaze shifted to the blanket, and with her arms still crossed, she kept her head down as she felt tears prick her eyes. He did not notice until he heard a quiet sniffle coming from his side, and he softened immediately, a tiny, exhausted sigh escaping from his mouth.

"I'm sorry. Please don't cry… It's just… I don't know why you suddenly wanted a definition to our relationship."

"I don't want a definition, I just…" She paused and wiped a single tear with the back of her hand. "It's just… One second you're acting like we're friends but the next it's like you want more. I'm confused and I want to know what's going on."

He hated to see her cry, and for every single tear that rolled down her cheek, he felt as though he had been repeatedly stabbed in the heart. "You really want to know what's going on?"

Robin nodded, and his chest tightened as he found it a little harder to breathe.

"Well, you asked for it, so… I'll tell you, I guess."

And he did.

While he was good with words, he had no idea how to talk about his feelings. But despite that, he tried. For her.


	59. Chapter 59

**AN: It's been a while since my last update and I'm sorry about that! I really had to edit this chapter over and over again because I felt as though it was too sappy for Swarkles. (But then again, later on I realised that there _were_ some undeniably cheesy moments throughout the series - cough, Barney's proposal, Barney making that big confession speech, etc. etc. - so I thought I'd keep some of the gooey romantic stuff.)**

* * *

It was Barney's turn to clear his throat. He shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he should be doing what he would be about to do next. Again, he was good at talking women into sleeping with him, but he was not the type to talk about his feelings so openly.

"Listen. I'm not going to deny the fact that I may want to be more than just a friend to you. When we're not with each other, I catch myself grinning like an idiot every time I recall something that's even mildly related to you. I know I've said all these things before, a long time ago, and for a while I even thought I've made a fool of myself because you didn't feel the same way."

She froze.

"And maybe I have. Maybe I have made a fool of myself already and I'm just digging deeper into that tunnel of foolishness, but you asked, so I'm telling you."

Barney paused for a deep inhale. Robin did not know how to react and for a long while, she just sat and stared, mouth slightly ajar. They had locked eyes then, and if they had not been in the dark, it would have turned into some kind of uncalled for staring competition.

"Look… I'm not good at saying these things off the top of my head. When I trick girls into going to bed with me, I have a plan and I make sure I memorise the script for a high success rate. But this is completely out of the blue, so let's just keep this short before I screw up somehow. Let's just say… I want to take care of you and I want you to take care of me too. I know I'm not this type of person, but when I'm with you, I _want_ to be this type of person."

His voice came out as a tiny whine, like a young child would when he was trying to get what he wanted. She extended an arm and gave his hand a squeeze as hers found his.

"You make me want to stop going to strip clubs and stop tricking women into going to bed with me because I don't want anyone but you. I just… I just want to have food fights with you every Saturday afternoon and I want us to laugh at an inside joke until our stomachs hurt. _You make me want to be a better person. _Damn it."

Barney was inching in closer now, and she could feel his breath on her cheek, which only made her more anxious, yet excited, to what he was about to say next. And he did not disappoint.

"Okay. That's it…" He trailed off into silence before he continued. "I'm already beginning to feel stupid and embarrassed… So please, _please,_ kiss me before I feel like vanishing off the surface of this Earth. Kiss me and tell me you feel the same now, even if you didn't before. Please-"

It took no time for Robin to sweep in and kiss him with such force he almost lost his balance, her lipstick smearing, tainting his lips.

"I do," she breathed as she placed her hands on his jaw and held him after the kiss. "I do. I feel the same." Her words were sharp cries, knocking down the walls that had stood between them for so long. "I don't know if you have the ability to read people's minds, but I wanted this too. I'm in this for the long haul… I am. I just didn't know if you still felt the same after such a long time."

"I do," he replied. He felt as though someone had set off the fireworks in his chest as his heart pounded rapidly and a tingling sensation coursing through his entire body, from the tip of his head to his little toe.

And that night, the two of them joined as one, passion filling the room with a mixture of sweat and perfume.


	60. Chapter 60

**AN: SO. SORRY. Again. It's like every time I come on I end up apologising for five minutes before posting new material because I'm a completely irresponsible person who had been depressingly busy. I just had a truckload of assessments and I'm getting my report card for the first term soon, so my brain didn't really have time to breathe and refresh itself these few weeks.**

* * *

_I'm wide-awake; it's morning. _Robin thought as she took a sip from the cup of coffee she had brewed herself with the hotel room portable water boiler. She was sitting in the armchair, her face freshly made up and her hair combed out neatly, her soft curls resting gently on her shoulder. She held the cup using both hands and slowly directed her gaze towards Barney, who was sprawled on the giant double bed, still sound asleep and gently snoring. She smiled, recalling the happenings of the previous night and stared at her hands, her fingers tapping against the cup in a quiet rhythm.

She had been up early, and when she had tried to return to sleep, she found that her mind simply would not allow for that to happen. She had planned on doing some sightseeing in the morning, but as she noticed how peaceful her lover looked in his sleep, she got up on her own and left him to his sleep, not wanting to disturb the tender look on his face.

She leaned forward, left her half drunken cup of coffee on the table and reached for the in-room dining menu, hoping to get a bite or two with him as soon as he woke. She flipped through the menu in anticipation, but to her dismay, had found nothing to satisfy her sudden craving for an American breakfast. She sighed and heaved herself off the chair, arching her back slightly as she stretched, both hands on her hips.

Robin decided it would be a good idea to head out on her own and return with breakfast for two, and she did according to plan. She wasn't an expert on the city but she knew enough anyway, and what was better for a man than to start the day with breakfast in bed? With that thought in mind, she reached for the spare hotel room key and slipped into her loafers, heading out the door in a silent motion, still careful not to wake Barney.

Halfway through closing the door, she hesitated before opening it again and re-entering the room. Quite clearly she had forgotten to write a note. Now that they were more than just friends, she thought it was only good for the both of them for her to leave a few words on her whereabouts in case he woke suddenly and wondered if she had bailed from their new relationship. She knew he tended to think like that.

So she tore a piece of paper from the pile of hotel room notepads and scrawled a quick note, promising a quick return and ended it by leaving him a kiss, placing the piece of paper to her lips and leaving a fresh print of her lipstick-covered pout.

Smiling in satisfaction at her capability of handling their new relationship, she made her way towards the door and closed it behind her as she heard the lock quietly click shut, giddy with the thought of him.

Robin knew she was never good at relationships. It was not even a personal opinion – she was so bad at them, the statement was nearly factual. Ask anyone about Robin Scherbatsky and her relationships and you would get a sigh and a sympathetic pat on the back. That was who she was and who she always had been – the woman who focused on career and put her love life second. Her past relationships had always ended up disastrous, to the point that even Ted, the hopeless romantic of the group, was starting to feel like there was something wrong with that girl and love itself. The two just did not mix well.

But this time, she was determined to be the best version of her idea of a girlfriend, because she felt like she was finally ready for something serious. And she hoped Barney was, too.


	61. Chapter 61

**AN: New chapter what UP!**

* * *

"Look… I don't know what's going to happen later. But we're going to pretend we're just friends if we see Luke and… And he wonders. I mean, can we?"

As soon as Barney heard that, he felt his heart sink. "Why?" He questioned, his voice coming out as a whine.

"Because… We're… And he's…" Robin tried to explain, but heaved a sigh instead. "It's complicated."

Not wanting an argument to take place, he did not protest, but nodded agreeably as they stood in the elevator in silence. It was morning, and after having breakfast in bed, they had some hanky panky behaviour before they got to the serious business. They were finally at the hospital, after having almost forgotten why they were really here in London.

He noticed she was vexed and he could understand that completely. Reaching for her hand, he gave it a little squeeze of reassurance and let go, just as soon as the elevator doors opened to reveal a busy corridor.

"Let's just get this over and done with, okay?" He mumbled and tugged on his collar as she looked at him, a face of slight reluctance and fear of what the Universe had in store for her in the next hour. "It's going to work out."

"I hope so," she replied nervously as she felt her heart beat so fast she was surprised it had not flown out of her chest right there and then and landed plop on the floor in the form of a bloody mess.

"I _know_ so."

Robin shot him a grateful look, knowing he was trying his best to comfort her and appreciating his effort. They stood motionless, looking around as they wondered what they had to do next.

"Hi…" She approached a nurse, and she felt her hands getting clammy as she clenched her fists, tensed.

"Morning, how may I help you?"

The nurse was cheerful and surprisingly young; she did not look a day over twenty and Robin doubted she was even old enough to legally drink, let alone get a full-time job.

"I'm… Coming here to sign a form…" She muttered.

"For…?" The nurse prodded helpfully as she waited for her response.

"Sorry?"

The nurse blinked at Robin's incapability to answer her simple question and repeated herself. "You said you were here to sign a form… For who?"

"Oh. For… Luke. Luke Fielding… Yeah. That's him. I mean that's his name." She responded, silently cursing herself for screwing up a normal conversation like this.

"Oh! I see. You must be Robin. Give me a moment; I'll be right back." She replied professionally and in good spirits, which only made Robin feel more anxious.

Stopping the nurse from walking to the reception desk, Robin tapped her on the shoulder. "You know my name?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm only an intern, so I only have a few patients with me these ten weeks I'm here. I just thought I should learn more about them and their families. Especially the cute ones like him. Kind of stupid, but I feel like I'm probably going to work here in the future so I just thought I'd make a good impression now. Also kind of stupid, but I think I really like him. Luke." She replied, shrugging and breaking into a tiny blush before returning to her professional state. "Now if you'll just excuse me for a minute, I'll go get your form."

"Oh, right. Of course. Thanks."

Walking back to where Barney stood, she noticed a grin on his face, to which she responded by giving him a dig in the ribs.

"Ow! What's wrong with you?" He teased as the look of amusement stayed firmly on his face.

"You're mocking me!"

"I'm not! I'm standing here, smiling."

"That's mocking me!"

"No it isn't. But come _on_, you should've seen how nervous you were back there. I actually thought you were going to melt into a puddle on the floor anytime." He mused, further provoking her.

"Was I really?" She replied, concerned, before shaking off the worry and returning her comebacks. "Actually, we _both _are going to melt into a puddle on the hotel room floor tonight, if you know what I mean." She gave him a wink and returned hurriedly to the reception, where the bubbly intern was standing with a folder tucked beneath her arm, playing with a pen.

"You just have to sign… Here." The nurse instructed, handing Robin the pen and pointing to where there was a blank line indicated, and she did as she was told.

"Right… Thanks. Is that it?"

"Yeah, that is, really."

"Oh. I didn't think… They could just have faxed it to me, couldn't they?" Robin replied, feeling stupid for the anxiety she had the entire morning regarding the hospital visit. "I mean… My flight was hours and this whole procedure took less than two seconds."

"You aren't from here?" The nurse enquired, interested.

"Oh no. I live in New York City… I can't believe they had me fly all the way back."

"Actually…" The nurse looked at Robin, a glimmer in her eye. "You can see Luke. I think that's why they called you here. Would you like to see him?"

"No." She replied, startled, then corrected herself as she registered the look of genuine surprise on the nurse's face. "Yes. I meant yes." She laughed nervously. "I don't know why I said no."

"Cool. He's in the first room on the right. Probably asleep now. He's oddly not very active these days."

"He's not?" Robin replied, her brow furrowing.

"No, he isn't… Well anyway, I'll walk you there, after I file this." She replied, getting to work. "And that man over there, is he with you? Would he like to come along?" She jutted her chin out at Barney, who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the ward, one foot lightly tapping in a quick rhythm against the shiny floorboards.

"Yes and yes. Thanks so much. I'll just go get him as you do this."

Robin flashed the nurse a gentle smile and strolled over to where Barney was standing, and he noticed she had relaxed slightly now.

"All good and ready to go?" He asked, smiling at her. "God, I love your eyes."

She directed her gaze towards the floor for a moment as a way of accepting his compliment and raised her head once again to tell him that they were not leaving. Not yet.

"I told the nurse we're going to see Luke together. I'm not sure if he's asleep or not right now or whatever… But I just thought I have to see him. I have to see him because if I don't, I'll never know how he has been and it'll just… I don't want this guilt to float with me forever. It's not fair for him, still."

"Okay… I'll meet you here in fifteen minutes then, I suppose?"

"You're not coming?"

"I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"I'd just not. Now you go along, the nurse is waiting for you."

"I guess… That's fine then. See you," she replied, pursing her lips as she followed the nurse down the corridor, and he watched as he fiddled with his fingers, in a state of nerves.


	62. Chapter 62

**AN: So this is the last chapter! It's quite abrupt - or not. But I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading - and before you leave, I have a question. I'm thinking of writing much shorter and light-hearted fics that are basically situational love stories between the HIMYM characters where I'll be writing about love in all its forms, and I was wondering if you guys think it's a good idea? I don't want to blabber too much about it and waste your time, but basically it'll be published as one story, while containing many short stories, like a compilation. Tell me what you think! :)**

* * *

It had been the longest fifteen minutes for the both of them. Barney sat on one of the benches placed along the corridor as he whistled show tunes to keep his mind off things, and after what seemed like an eternity, he heard the familiar footsteps getting louder and louder, to which he responded by rising to his feet almost immediately.

"How did he go?" He blurted out, reaching out his arms for Robin to walk into, in which she did. She was alone this time, the nurse probably off somewhere else for duty, and she looked flustered.

"It's… _He didn't know who I was_," she replied, her voice quivering.

"What do you mean?" He was concerned now, watching her.

"He didn't know who I was." She repeated. "He just… Didn't know who I was."

"Why didn't he…" He trailed off, but he was certain she knew what he meant.

"He… The nurse said something about his memory and… I don't know. I wasn't even listening. It was terrible. He just… It was as if I didn't even exist. He looked at me and he just kept doing whatever he was doing." She paused and felt a lump in her throat. "I want to leave."

She sounded determined, and he knew she has had a rough time in there. He knew by the way she had sounded and he understood by the way she acted.

"Okay," he mumbled, putting his arm over her shoulder as they walked down the corridor. She cowered under his protection and leaned against him for support as she tried to process how her interaction with someone she used to share the world with.

_How does someone simply forget everything, just like this?_

Robin cleared her throat as he pressed the button and as soon as they got in the elevator, she started to speak.

"Maybe it was for the better."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He knows who he is and he knows everything about himself. He just doesn't know _me_. It's like I was that part of his timeline that got ripped out somehow. But I'm saying…"

She blurted, stopped talking for a brief moment as she figured where she was going with her remark, and gathered her thoughts altogether again.

"Look…" She faced him. "I know I'm going to sound selfish for saying this, but… Maybe it's for the better, like I said. Because when I looked at him… I just didn't get that spark anymore. That spark where I feel invincible and that he was what I needed. I just didn't feel that anymore. It's… Gone. Vanished. I had a change of heart."

"You're not selfish, Robin Scherbatsky. You're allowed to change your mind and you're allowed to feel things; you're only human. You're being hard on yourself." Barney responded tenderly.

The elevator hit the ground floor and they walked out, his arm still around her.

"I know. And after this… After this confirmation that he's not missing me…" She gave a nervous laugh before closing her eyes. "_Missing me_. He doesn't even know who I am. This is ridiculous. I am ridiculous. A few months ago we were hopelessly in love, and now he's doing perfectly fine without me, and I'm doing perfectly fine without him. Partially because he doesn't know me anymore. How did we get from there to here?" She questioned, reopening her eyes.

"Maybe… He was just not the one for you. Maybe you're just destined to be scared to death like this once in a while," Barney responded, shrugging. "But you've got this off your chest now, haven't you?"

"I have. I really have. This is some kind of… Relief." She responded, and they walked for a while in silence, until eventually, she spoke again.

"I've thought it over; our paths probably crossed because the Universe wanted us to be together. Did you know that in a way, he brought us together? I could tell the nurse really likes him too, and he was even more comfortable and willing to chat with the nurse than with me… Maybe that's just the way this is supposed to end. I'm not saying I'm willing to forget this whole event; all I'm saying is, maybe I should just let go and know that _we're just not meant to be_. We're history. The good kind."

She finished, giving him a smile as she slid her arm around his waist.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe this is the way it's supposed to end… And we've left the hospital. Is it wrong for me to want us to be lovers again and stop doing that 'we're friends' act? Because you look amazing and I really want to kiss you right now."

Stopping in her tracks, she caused him to pause as well, and she playfully jabbed him in the rib one more time.

"Stop sugar-coating your words, _boyfriend_."


End file.
